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2 



HISTORY OF FRANCE, 

FROM THE ^ 

EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY. 

ON THE 

BASIS OF SADLER'S HISTORY, 

AND 

ARRANGED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, 

WITH 

QUESTIONS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF STUDENTS. 



BY JOHN RUSSELL, A.M. 

Author of the History of the United Stales. 



■V 




WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS, 



PHILADELPHIA I 

PUBLISHED BY HOGAN & THOMPSON, 
No. 30, NORTH FOURTH STREET. 



18 3 7. 

3 



Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1836, by Hogan & 
Thompson, in the Clerk's Office of tlie District Court for the Eastern Dis- 
trict of Pennsylvania. 



^f/f 



STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN PHILADELPHIA. 



.^^ 



2^( 



X^' 



PREFACE. 



No country affords materials more suitable for an interesting 
and instructive history, than France. Situated in the centre of 
Europe, and intimately connected in its political relations with 
all the great movements in the civilized world, its importance 
and influence have been felt and acknowledged in every age of 
modern history. Its alternate close connection or fierce rivalry 
with-England, the country to which our republic owes its exist- 
ence, renders the story of its various fortunes particularly appro- 
priate for the study of American youth ; and the variety and 
imposing character of the events which it offers to their notice, 
cannot fail to render it as interesting as it is important. 

In preparing the present volume, the author has endeavoured 
to give the history as lively and striking a character as was con- 
sistent with fidelity of delineation ; and to fix the attention of the 
student by such biographical details as his limited space would 
allow. It is hoped that the reader will feel a degree of personal 
interest in the leading personages, and will retain a distinct recol- 
lection of their characters and dispositions, and of the effect 
which they respectively produced on the events of their time. 

The whole narrative has been comprised in so short a space, 
that it may properly find a place in our common seminaries of 
learning as a part of the historical course, without employing 
too much of the time devoted to school instruction. The space 
devoted to the career of Napoleon, has been limited to a few 
pages, as that period is considered of sufficient importance to 
claim a separate volume, which is now in press. 

The work is submitted to the public with diffidence, but not 
without hope that it will be deemed worthy of a place among 
American School Classics. 

Philadelphia, December, 1836. 

1* 5 



NAMES OF ANCIENT PEOPLE 



MENTIONED IN THIS WORK 



The Allobroges, a people of Savoy. 

The iEoui, people of Burgundy. 

The Arverni, ........ people of Auvergne. 

~ . ^ people inhabiting the country between 

The Allemannt, ...... ^ ^ the Mein, the Rhine, and the Danube. 

The Albigenses, people of Languedoc : the Protestants. 

The Alani, a people of Sarmatia or Tartary. 

^ T. 5 ^ people inhabiting Bourbonnais and part 

-^^^^ ^°"' } of Auvergne. 

The Belgjk, a people between the Rhine and the Oise. 

rn r^ 5 ancient inhabitants of the greater part of 

IHE CELTS,. ^ Q^^j 

rr, T-, < the united tribes from which France took 

The Franks, ^ j^^^ ^^^^^ 

The Gauls, inhabitants of Gaul, ancient France. 

C a fierce people of Sarmatia who invaded 

The Huns, . -^ the Roman empire and established 

^ Hungary. 

The Helvetians, the Swiss. 

The Ostrogoths, ...... the Eastern Goths. 

The Sequani, a people inhabiting Franche-Comte. 

The Vandals, a people on the shores of the Baltic. 

The Visigoths, the Western Goths. 

7 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Battle of Tours, Page 37 

Battle of Chartres, 45 

Taking of Jerusalem, 59 

Philip II. sends his Wife to a Convent, 78 

The Queen of Louis IX. at Damietta, s 92 

Jane de Montfort returning to Hennebon, 107 

Field of Poictiers after the Battle, 121 

Death of Joan of Arc, 161 

Louis XI. and his Astrologers, 164 

Death of tlie Chevalier Bayard, 171 

Abdication of Charles V., 176 

Henry IV. entering Paris, 184 

Coronation of Mary de Medicis, 187 

Louis XIV 199 

War occasioned by the English attacking a French Vessel, 205 

General Rapp announcing the retreat of the Russians at Austerlitz, . . . 212 

Charge of Cossacks, 216 

Battle of Waterloo, 225 

8 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Gaul. — By whom peopled. — Druids. — Government. — The Gauls invade Italy. — The 
AUobroges. — Foundation of Narbonne. — Romans' excuse for invading Gaul. — 
Ca3sar's Invasion. — The Goths. — Caesar drives the Germans out of Gaul. — Reason 
of Gaul being conquered — Csesar returns to Rome Page 19 

CHAPTER II. 

Roman dominion in Gaul. — Human sacrifices forbidden. — Temple erected to C?Esar. 
— The Druids meet in forests to follow their own worship ; form schemes of re- 
volt. — Defeat of Vindex. — Septimus Severus. — The Franks. — The AUemanni. — • 
Invasion of Rhodogast. — ^The Vandals. — The Alani 25 

CHAPTER III. 

The Franks. — ^The Huns. — ^The Merovingian race. — ^Tartar invasion. — Attila. — 
Alaric and Theodoric. — Siege of Orleans. — Battle of Chalons 29 

CHAPTER IV. 

Clovis ; becomes a Christian. — ^The Visigoths. — Clovis defeats and slays Alaric. — 
Salic law. — Feudal system. — Trial by Jury. — Death of Clovis. — Clotaire. — Maires 
du palais. — Pepin d'Heristal. — Charles Martel. — Saracens. — Childeric. — End of 
the Merovingian race 31 

CHAPTER V. 

Pepin le Bref, and Charlemagne founder of the Carlovingian race. — Defeats the 
Huns. — Battle of Roncesvalles. — Death of Roland. — Luxury of the nobles. — 
Death of Charlemagne 36 

CHAPTER VI. 

Louis the Debonnaire; becomes a prisoner; intrigues of his wife. — Death of Louis. 
— Battle of Fontenay. — Saracens attack Gaul. — The North men or Normans ra- 
vage the coasts ; attack Paris. — Eudes. — Courage of twelve warriors. Assault on 
the capital. — Dishonourable treaty. — Death of Charles the Gross 40 

CHAPTER VII. 

Eudes, count of Paris, and Charles the Simple.— The nobles take titles. — Leodes, 
or freemen. — Serfs. — RoUo, son of the King of Denmark, takes Rouen : is defeat- 
ed at Chartres. — Receives Neustria as a dowry with his wife. — Becomes a Chris- 
tian, and takes the name of Robert. — Will not kneel to the king. — Was father of 
William tlie Conqueror 43 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Louis d'Outremer, and Lothaire. — Hugo, father of the Capetian dynasty. — Lothaire 
crowned. — Capets, why so called. — War between Lothaire and Otho, emperor 
of Germany. — Invades Aix-la-Chapelle. — Louis the Faineant, is thought to have 
died by poison 47 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Capets. — Extent of the empire under Charlemagne. — Assembly of the States. 
— Charles of Lorraine. — The race of Charlemagne becomes extinct. — Hugh Ca- 
pet founds a new dynasty 49 

9 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER X. 



Robert I. — His charity ; death. — His son Henry is obhged to flee ; takes refuge in 
Normandy. — Robert le Diable ; he goes on a pilgrimage. — The mother of William 
the Conqueror. — WilUam d'Arques. — War between Wilham of Normandy and 
the king of France. — Battle of Mortemart. — Death of Henry = . . . 50 

CHAPTER XL 

William of Normandy- — ^Battle of Hastings. — Conquest of England. — Feudal law 
in England. — Kingdom divided among the Normans. — Robert of Normandj^ re- 
bels against his father. — Fights with him. — Death of William. — Bertrade, the 
king's mistress : her influence over the monarch. — The crusade, causes of it. — 
"Numbers of the crusaders. — Peter the Hermit. — Godfrey of Bouillon. — Siege of 
Jerusalem. — Its capture. — Knights-Templars. — Knights of St. John. — Suppression 
of the Templai-s.— Death of Philip 1 52 

CHAPTER XII. 

Louis le Gros, and Louis VII. — Battle of Tinchebray.— William Clito. — Henry of 
England refuses to pay homage for Normandy. — Empress Matilda. — The ori- 
flamme displayed. — Louis le Jeune. — Thibault earl of Champagne. — Cathedral 
of Vitry burnt. — Another crusade. — Arrive in Asia. — Battle on the Mseander.— 
The French fall into an ambuscade. — Arrive at Antioch.— Louis jealous of his 
queen. — Returns to France 61 

CHAPTER XIIL 

Failure of the crusade. — Comte de Dreux.— The king of England claims Toulouse. 
— Louis nearly taken prisoner. — Peace between France and England. — Henry 
invades France. — A peace advantageous to England. — Another crusade. — Death 
of Louis le Jeune 67 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Philip II. — Banishes jugglers and buffoons from court. — The Cotteraux, Brabancons, 
Routiers, Tavardhis:.— New wht with England. — Interview at Gisors. — Insolence 
of the English. — Richard Coeur de Lion. — His character. — Sets out on a crusade. 
— Leopold duke of Austria. — Fall of Acre. — Richard insults Leopold. — Philip re- 
turns to France. — Richard's success in Asia. — Makes peace with Saladin. — Sets 
out for England. — Is taken prisoner and confined by Leopold. — Is discovered and 
ransomed. — Philip invades Normandy.— Assassination at the castle of Evreux. — 
The town burnt. — John of England.— Philip sends his wife to a convent. — France 
laid under an interdict. — Murder of Arthur, nephew of John of England.— Eng- 
land laid imder an interdict— Philip prepares to invade England.— Is prevented. 
— France invaded.— Battle of Bouvines.— Captives led in procession through 
Paris. — The Albigenses. — John signs Mapva Charta. — The French invade Eng- 
land.— Peace with England.— Death of Philip 70 

CHAPTER XV. 

Louis VIII. — Henry of England demands the provinces. — The Gascons favourable 
to the English. — Siege of Avignon : its fortifications dismantled. — Three hundred 
houses burnt — Louis attacked by a fever. — Dies at Montpensier. — Queen Blanche 
is regent °6 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Louis IX., saint Louis. — Raymond of Toulouse binds himself to abandon the Albi- 
genses. — ^Thibault count of Champagne : sells his territories to the crown. — In- 
sulted by Robert of Artois. — Blanche's jealousy. — Louis vows to "O on a crusade. 
—Obtains money from the Church.— Heiuy III. of England forbids him to go.— 
Louis seta off accompanied by liis queen.— Lands at Cyprus. — Takes Daniietta. — 



CONTENTS. XI 

Defeated at Massoura. — Disease in the army. — Louis taken prisoner. — The amount 
of his ransom. — Insurrection among the Turks ; they kill the sultan. — Louis re- 
fuses to change his religion. — Accouchement of the queen. — Louis abandons the 
crusade 87 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Crusade against Tunis ; peace with England. — Good government of Louis : sails 
for Tunis. — Fleet dispersed. — Lands in Africa. — A contagious disease carries off 
Louis' son. — Louis attacked by it. — Falls a victim. — Edward, prince of Wales, 
goes to attack Acre ; is wounded ,• affectionate conduct of his wife Eleanor. . 94 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Philip III., the Bold. — Death of his queen Isabel. — Her four sons. — Pierre de la 
Brosse, chamberlain. — Prejudices the king against his wife. — Prince Louis poi- 
soned. — La Brosse accuses the queen. — She is declared innocent. — Edward of 
England claims the English territories in France. — French in Sicily. — Sicilian 
vespers. — Pedro of Arragon challenges Charles of Anjou. — Pedro avoids the duel. 
—Charles taken prisoner. — Philip invades Catalonia and besieges Genoa. Dies 
at Perpignan 96 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Philip IV., the Fair. — Summons Edward of England to appear before the French 
parliament. — Edward makes a compromise. — Campaign in Flanders against the 
allied Flemish and English. — Peace made.— Alliance between England and 
France. — The Pope insulted and beaten. — Persecution and abolition of the 
Knights-Templars. — Several of them burnt. — Expressions of Jacques de Molay, 
the grand master. — Death of Philip 98 

CHAPTER XX. 

Louis X., Philip V., and Charles IV. — Accusation of Enguerrand de Marigny — In- 
sults the princes. — Marigny and his wife charged with sorcery. — Marigny hanged. 
— Margaret, wife of Louis, is strangled. — Louis marries the daughter of the king 
of Hungar}'.— Death of Louis. — Philip V. succeeds. — Called the Long. — ^Thinks of 
a crusade. — Persecution of the Jews. — Jews accused of poisoning the wells. — 
Jews at Vitry. — The Pastoureaux. — Death of Philip. — Accession of Charles the 
Fair. — Misunderstanding between England and France. — The prince of Wales 
performs homage to Charles. — Death of Charles, at Vincennes 101 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Philip VI. of Valois. — Meeting of the French and English kings at Amiens. — Hu- 
miliation of Edward. — Robert, count d'Artois, flees to England. — Edward resolves 
on a war with France. — Battle between the French and Enghsh fleets. — Edward 
lands in France. — Besieges Tournay and challenges Philip. — An English army 
lands at La Hogue. — Caen taken. — The English menace Paris. — Retire towards 
Flandei-s. — Cross the Somme. — Are followed by the French. — Edward the Black 
Prince. — Battle of Cressy. — Courage of the earl of Alencon. — John, king of Bo- 
hemia. — Meeting of Edward and the prince of Wales after the battle 104 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Siege of Calais. — Defeat of the Scotch and capture of their king. — Philip marches 
to relieve Calais. — Is unable to do it. — Challenges Edward. — Calais surrenders to 
the English. — Cruelty of Edward. — Magnanimity of Eustache de St. Pierre. — 
Merciful intercession of the English queen Philippa. — Numbers of English es- 
tablish themselves in Calais, which becomes an English colony. — Death of 
Pliilip 114 



Xll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

John II., called the Good. — Arrests Rodolph de Brienne. — Henry Plantagenet in- 
vades Bretagne. — Charles the Bad. — Marries John's daughter. — ^Assassinates 
Charles de la Cerda. — Three queens of France. — Edward the Black Prince 
marches towards Toulouse. — Edward marches to St. Omers. — Battle of Poic- 
tiers. — The French attack ; are beaten. — The king of France taken prisoner — 
Edward behaves courteously to him. — Takes him to England. — Manner of their 
passing through London 117 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

France during the captivity of John. — Conduct of the French nobles. — Troubles at 
Paris. — Embarrassment of the Dauphin. — Siege of Rennes. — Treachery of Wil- 
liam of Granville at Eatcux. — Escape of Charles of Navarre from the castle of 
Creve-Coeur. — Rescue of the duchess of Orleans and three hundred ladies at 
Meaux. — The Jacquerie subjected. — Paris invested. — The king of Navarre de- 
clares war against France. — Treachery of the provost. — Proposed ransom for 
John. — The States refuse the conditions. — Edward renews the war. — Siege of 
Rheims — Peace concluded. — John set at liberty on leaving hostages for the pay- 
ment of his ransom. — The hostages escape. — Memorable w^ords of Jolin. — He 
resigns himself into the hands of the English. — Dies in the palace called the Sa- 
voy, at London 123 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Charles V., the Wise. — Bertrand du Guesclin. — ^Battle between the French party 
and the Navarrois. — Battle near Auray. — Du Guesclin made prisoner. — Termi- 
nation of hostilities in Bretagne. — Philip of Orleans gives his property to the 
State. — Laws against luxury. — The Great Companies. — Du Guesclin ransomed. 
— Marches against the Moors in Spain. — Lays contributions on the Pope at Avig- 
non. — Deposes Pedro the Cruel. — Discontent of the Gascons. — Charles commands 
the prince of Wales to appear in France to answer certain accusations. — ^The 
English march towards Paris. — Are attacked at Puyrenon. — Quixotry of an Eng- 
hsh knight at the gates of Paris. — ^The war is unfavourable to the English. . 128 

CHAPTER XXVI 

Death of Edward the Black Prince. — Capture of Limoges.— Slaughter of the in- 
habitants. — Bravery of four Frenchmen. — Du Guesclin made constable of France. 
— Noble conditions upon which he accepts the post. — Treachery of an English- 
man. — The English defeated at Pont- Volant by Du Guesclin. — The English fleet 
defeated by the Spaniards. — Rochelle surrendered to the French. — Du Guesclin 
takes Poictiers. — Edward obliged to return to England. — ^The duke of Lancas- 
ter's army harassed by Du Guesclin. — Death of Du Guesclin at the moment of 
Aactory. — Surrender of Chateau-Neuf-du-Randon. — Charles of Navarre accused 
of poisoning the king. — Charles is burnt by accident — Death of king Charles of 
France 135 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Charles VI. — ^The duke of Anjou regent. — Seizes the treasures of the late king. — 
Two Popes. — An English army enters France, commanded by Buckingham. — 
Charles VI. and Richard II. — Revolt in Flanders. — The French and English in- 
terfere. — Battle of Rosebecque. — Mutiny at Paris. — The Maillotins. — The French 
victorious in Flanders. — The English march against them. — Take Dunkirk. — 
Siege of Ypres. — Powerful French army march against them. — Siege of Yprea 
raised. — The English forced to evacuate' Flanders. — France ravaged by the Free 
Companies. — Geoffroy Tete-Noire. — Siege of Ventadour. — Preparations for invad- - 
ing England. — The fleet destroyed by a tempest. — OHver de Clisson. — Thxx)wn 
into prison 140 



CONTENTS. XIU 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Insanity of Charles VI.— The dukes of Burgundy and Berry excluded from power. 
— Attempted assassination of Clisson. — The king marches for Bretagne. — De- 
scription of the cavalcade. — A stranger endeavours to stop the king on the road. 
— Extraordinary accident. — Tlie king loses his senses. — Is convalescent, but again 
driven mad by a terrible accident at a ball. — Dispute about the regency. — The 
duke of Burgundy named. — Clisson accused of peculation. — War between Clis- 
son and the dake of Bretagne. — Cruel proposal of the countess of Penthievre. — 
Accident which befell her in consequence. — Death of Clisson. — Economy of the 
duke of Burgundy. — David, king of Scotland, a prisoner to the English. — ^The 
French go to assist the Scots. — Cannot agree with tliem. — A French army march 
to protect Hungary against the Turks.— Siege of Nicopolis. — Defeat of the French 
and Hungarians. — The Turks massacre their prisoners. — Ransom paid to the 
Turks. — The houses of York and Lancaster in England 146 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Factions of Orleans and Burgundy. — Queen Isabella joins the Orleans party. — A 
commission of regency obtained in favour of Orleans. — Civil war between the 
dukes. — ^They are excluded from any share in the government. — Death of Bur- 
gundy, much in debt.— Devices of the houses of Orleans and Burgimdy. — Recon- 
ciliation. — Assassination of Orleans. — John, duke of Burgundy, quits Paris. — ^The 
Orleans party take arms. — The duke of Burgundy judged guilty of treason. — He 
marches upon Paris. — ^The English march to assist the Orleanists. — Charles be- 
comes sane. — The Orleans party enter Paris. — The queen breaks into the Dau- 
phin's apartment. — The duke of Burgundy advances on Paris, but is abandoned 
by the Dauphin, and retires. — ^The king marches against Burgundy, and the duke 
submits. — Succession of Henry V. to the throne of England. — Lands in Norman- 
dy. — Battle of Azincourt. — Armagnac constable of France. — Two parliaments in 
France. — Assassination of the duke of Burgundy on the bridge at Montereau. — 
The English take Rouen. — Peace with England. — Henry V. of England marries 
the French princess Catherine. — Triumphal entry of Henry into Paris. — His 
death. — ^The duke of Bedford named regent of France. — Death of Chai-les VI. 

154 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Charles VII. — His character. — Siege of Orleans. — Joan of Arc — ^The English beaten. 
— Charles crowned at Rheims. — Joan of Arc asks permission to retire. — It is re- 
fused. — She is taken by the English and shamefully burnt at Rouen. — The Eng- 
lish lose all their possessions in France except Calais. — Indocility of young Louis. 
—Death of Charles 159 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Louis XI. — His character. — Charles the Bold. — Battle between the leaguers and 
the king's forces. — Interview between the king and Charles the Bold.— Charles 
keeps Louis prisoner. — Siege of Beauvais. — Jeanne Hachette. — ^Tristan I'Her- 
mite, grand provost, and La Balue. — The latter confined in an iron cage — Louis 
retires to the castle at Tours. — Fortifies it. — Puts to death the duke of Nemours. 
-^His idea of the necessity of learning Latin. — Battle of Granson. — Defeat and 
death of Charles the Bold. — Louis seizes on Burgundy and unites it to the crown. 
— England still torn by the factions of the Red and White Roses. — Useful estab- 
lishments under Louis. — His death 160 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Charles VIII. — His age at his accession. — Orleans aspires to the government. — Civil 
war. — Orleans defeated and made prisoner. — His tliree years in captivity. — Mar- 



XIV CONTENTS. 

riage of Charles with Anne oi' Bretagne, who was attached to the duke of Or- 
leans. — Charles marches against Naples.— Is obliged to retreat. — Battle of For- 
noue. — The French driven out of Naples. — Death of Charles VIII. — Events 
during his reign. — ^Is succeeded by the duke of Orleans 167 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Louis XII. — Reassures his adversaries. — Louis obtains a divorce from his first wife 
and marries the queen dowager, who thus becomes a second time queen of 
France. — Louis invades Italy. — Takes Milan and Genoa. — The celebrated Bay- 
ard. — The Spaniards assist the French. — They quarrel, and Spain obtains Naples. 
— The French retire to their own country. — The Swiss enter France. — Henry 
VIII. of England invades her at the same time. — Peace between England and 
France. — Louis much esteemed by the French. — ^Is called the Father of his peo- 
ple.... 169 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Francis I. — His character. — Battle of the Giants. — Death of Bayard. — Francis taken 
prisoner. — " Tout est perdu hors Thonneur." — Refuses his liberty on dishonourable 
terms. — Makes a treaty with Spain and returns to France. — A new war. — Francis 
unsuccessful. — Charles V. invades France. — Montmorency compels him to retire. 
— ^France invaded by Charles V. and Henry VIII. — A desultory warfare ; the in- 
vading armies retire. — A treaty with Henry VIII. — Interview of Francis and 
Henry in the field of Golden Cloth. — Charles V. passes through France to quell 
a revolt in Flanders. — Observation of the court buflbon. — Death of Francis. . 170 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Henry II. — ^Troubles in his reign caused by Luther and Calvin. — Meeting and pro- 
test of the schismatics, who acquire the name of Protestants.— Admiral de Co- 
ligny. — Duke de Guise. — The Protestants persecuted. — Abdication of the empe- 
ror Charles V. — He retires to a monastery. — His son Philip succeeds as king of 
Spain. — The duke de Guise attacks Calais. — ^It is taken from the English. — Phi- 
lip of Spain marries Henry's sister. — Peace made. — Public rejoicings in conse- 
quence: — Henry is wounded by accident and dies soon after 177 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Francis II., only sixteen years old. — Catherine de Medicis governs, with the assist- 
ance of the Guises. — Francis marries the celebrated Mary Stuart. — The Protest- 
ants become powerful. — Coligny and Montmorency join them, and thus become 
obnoxious to the court. — The prince de Conde of the Protestant party. — A plot 
of the Protestants to seize the Guises. — Conde imprisoned. — Liberated. — Declares 
himself a Protestant. — Is condemned to death. — Francis dies at the age of seven- 
teen. — Mary Stuart returns to Scotland 178 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Charles IX., only ten years old at his succession. — Conde is pardoned. — The king 
of Navarre named lieutenant-general. — Michel de Lhopital chancellor. — Battle 
between some Protestants and some Catholics. — Conde and Navarre take the 
lead of the two parties. — Guise killed at Orleans. — Peace with England. — Death 
of Montmorency in a battle near St. Denis. — Death of Conde. — The Protestants 
acquire influence. — Marriage between the king's sister and Henry of Navarre. — 
Attack on Coligny. — Massacre of St. Bartholomew. — Assassination of Coligny. — 
Memorable answer of the viscount d'Orlhe. — Excuse for the massacre. — The 
king fires from the Louvre. — His death. — The beginning of the year changed 
from Easter to Januaiy 179 



CONTENTS. XV 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Henry TIL— Was king of Poland. — His depraved morals. — Catherine de Medicis 
and Protestants. — ^The king of Navarre quits Paris and joins the Protestants. — 
The Germans invade France ; are paid to retire. — ^The League. — Convocation of 
the states-general. — ^The king declares himself chief of the League. — The Pro- 
testants pursued with vigour. — Proclamation of the king of Navarre (Henry IV.). 
— Conspiracy against the king. — The Barricades. — Henry obliged to flee. — Forced 
to swear enmity to the Protestants. — States-general. — Revolt at Paris. — Henry 
joins the king of Navarre. — ^They march against the capital. — Arrive at St. Cloud. 
— Henry IIL assassinated 181 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Henry IV. — Is forced to retire towards Dieppe. — Pursued by Guise. — Resumes the 
offensive, and marches towards Paris. — Battle of Ivry. — Siege of Paris. — Capitu- 
lates, and Henry enters in triumph. — Attempt to assassinate him. — Endeavours 
to conciliate all parties. — Is forced to adopt the Catholic religion. — Is acknow- 
ledged king of France.^Difficulty of obtaining absolution from the Pope. — Pen- 
ance enjoined. — Importunities of the Protestants. — Edict of Nantes. — Sully named 
minister. — Henry divorces his wife. — Sully tears a promise of marriage from Hen- 
ry to Henriette d.'Entragues. — Retires. — Is recalled. — Henry marries Mary de Me- 
dicis. — His domestic character. — Anecdote. — Henry about to take the field against 
the Germans. — Coronation of the queen. — Assassination of Henry. — Character of 
Henry.-r—Sully's administration. — Improvements in the Capital 185 

CHAPTER XL. 

Louis XIII., only eight years old at his succession. — Regency of Mary de Medicis. 
— ^The marshal d'Ancre. — Sully retires from court. — Alliance with Spain by mar- 
riage. — Richelieu becomes minister. — Arrest and death of the marshal d'Ancre. 
— His widow tried and executed for sorcery. — Mary de Medicis excites a civil 
war against Louis. — Confirmation of the Edict of Nantes. — Richelieu becomes 
cardinal.— Accommodation between Mary de Medicis and the king. — A new 
quarrel. — A dispute between the king and his brother the duke of Orleans. — 
Richelieu in danger of assassination. — Conspiracy of Cinq-mars and de Thou. — 
Decapitation of Cinq-mars at Lyons. — Richelieu carried to court in a litter. — 
Building of the Palais- Royal. — Richelieu gives the Palais-Royal to the king. — 
His death. — Improvements under Richelieu. — Death of Mary de Medicis and of 
Louis XIII ..189 

CHAPTER XLI. 

Louis XIV., only five years old. — Situation, — Regency. — ^The king's will annulled. 
— Cardinal Mazarin named minister. — The Spaniards invade France. — Battle of 
Rocroy. — The Spanish Netherlands obtain their independence. — The peace of 
Munster. — The Frondeurs and the Mazarins. — The regent leaves Paris. — A corn- 
promise. — Mazarin is obliged to retire. — Marches with an army against Paris. — 
A battle in the faubourg St. Antoine. — Mazarin dismissed, and Paris becomes 
tranquil. — The Spaniards take Dunkirk and Gravelines. — Treaty between Eng- 
land and France. — Dunkirk retaken. — Peace between France and Spain. — Louis 
marries the king of Spain's daughter. — Death of Mazarin. — Colbert becomes 
minister. — Marseilles and Dunkirk declared free ports. — The streets of Paris 
first paved and lighted. — Racine and Boileau 191 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Continuation of the reign of Louis XIV. — Death of the king of Spain. — War with 
Spain. — Battles of marshal Turenne. — Fortifications of Vauban. — Peace of Aix- 



XVI CONTENTS. 

la-Chapelle.— The French march into Holland.— The northern powers assist the 
Dutch.— England makes a treaty with Holland.— The French contuiue the war. 
— Death of Turenne at Salzbach.— Retreat of the French.— Peace between 
France and Holland. — The French take Strasburg. — Louis increases his navy. — 
Attacks Algiers. — Bombards Genoa. — The Protestants exposed to fresh pei-secu- 
tions. — Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. — Prosperity of silk manufactory' in 
England caused by the emigrations from France. — Memorable words of Christine 
of Sweden. — James II. of England dethroned. — Battles of the Boyne and la 
Hogue. — The peace of Riswick. — ^The duke of Anjou becomes king of Spain. — 
Invasion of Italy by Leopold. — Death of James II. — England declares war against 
France. — Campaigns of the duke of Marlborough. — Villars and Tallard. — Battle 
of Blenheim. — Taking of Gibraltar. — ^Battle of Raraillies. — A famine in France. — 
Memorable words of Louis. — Battle of Malplaquet. — Victory gained by Villars 
over the English at Denatn. — Peace concluded. — Louis approaches his end. — 
Regrets his passion for war. — His death. — The iron mask.— Curious circumstance. 
— ^Building the palace of Versailles and other improvements in this reign. . . 193 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

Louis XV., only five years old. — Regency of the duke of Orleans. — Spain and Swe- 
den against France. — Death of Charles XII. — Cessation of the regency. — Louis 
takes the reins of government. — A war in Europe concerning the crown of Po- 
land. — Marie Therese becomes empress. — Wars against her. — The English assist 
her. — Battle of Dettingen. — ^The Austrians pass the Rhine. — Battle of Fontenoy. 
— The war extends into Italy. — Victories of the French in the Netherlands. — 
Taking of Bergen-op-Zoom. — Bad state of the French Navy. — War between 
France and England. — Prussia joins the English. — Battle of Rosbach. — Ministry 
of Pitt earl of Chatham. — Treaty of Paris by which the English obtain Canada. 
— Attempt to assassinate Louis. — Expulsion of the Jesmts. — Death of Louis by 
the small-pox < 201 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Louis XVI., twenty years old. — Necker called to the finances. — War between Eng- 
land and America. — ^The Enghsh attack a French vessel. — War betw^een the two 
countries. — Combat between d'Orvilliers and Keppel. — Siege of Gibraltar. — ^The 
Americans obtain their independence. — National debt of France. — Calonne su- 
persedes Necker. — A land tax. — Lits de justice. — Assembly of States-general. — 
Jeu de Paume. — National assembly. — Attack on the Bastile. — National Guard. — 
Tri-coloured flag. — Louis takes the national cockade. — Attack by the populace 
on the palace at Versailles. — ^The king brought to Paris by the people. — Scarcity 
of money. — Assignats. — ^The Federation at the Champ-de-Mars. — Alterations in 
the ecclesiastical laws. — ^The duke of Orleans and Mirabeau interfere. — Popular 
opinion overcomes all other influence. — The king and queen escape from Paris. — 
Their imprudeiit manner of travelling. — Are recognised and arrested at Varen- 
nes. — Brought back to Paris. — Attack on the Tuileries on the 10th August. — The 
royal family sent prisoners to the Temple. — ^The foreign powers advance. — France 
declared a republic. — Louis XVI. arraigned at the bar of the assembly. — Con- 
demned to death by a majority of five votes. — Santerre goes to the Temple and 
reads the sentence to the king. — Louis decapitated at the age of 38. — Marie- An- 
toinette tried, condemned, and executed. — ^The Dauphin Louis XVII 203 

CHAPTER XLV. 

The Republic. — Massacres. — Emigrations. — The young duke of Orleans in exile. — 
National convention. — Assassination of Marat. — Lieutenant Bonaparte at Toulon. 
— Becomes general. — Menaces England with invasion. — Goes to Egypt — Fleet 
destroyed by Nelson. — Bonaparte returns to Paris. — Dissolves the Director^'. — 
Consular government. — Short peace \\-ith England. — War renewed. — Glorious 
campaigns of the French army. — Conspiracies against Napoleon. — Infernal ma- 
chine 209 



CONTENTS. XVll 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



The Empire. — Bonaparte proclaimed emperor. — Death of the duke d'Enghien — 
Another project of invading England— Is prevented, and marches against Aus- 
tria.— Takes Vienna. — Battle of Austerlitz.— Column in the place Vendome. — 
Bonaparte returns to Paris. — ^Battle of Trafalgar. — Death of the English admiral 
Nelson. — Napoleon in Poland. — Austria again at war with France. — Bonaparte 
again at Vienna. — Battles of Esling and Wagram. — Peace with Austria. — Inva- 
sion of the papal dominions. — The Pope at Fontainebleau. — Battle of Corunna ; 
death of general Moore. — Wellesley takes command of the English troops in the 
Peninsula. — Divorce of Josephine. — Bonaparte marries Marie-Louisa. — Joseph 
Bonaparte king of Spain. — Birth of the king of Rome. — Napoleon marches against 
Russia. — Arrives at Moscow. — Destruction of that city. — French army obliged to 
quit it. — Retreat of the French. — Sudden change of the weather. — Dreadful suf- 
fering of the army on its retreat. — Bonaparte hastens to Paris to demand rein- 
forcements. — Thermometer 28 below zero. — Reinforcement of 250,000 men. — 
Bonaparte leaves Paris to rejoin the army. — Battle of Vittoria. — Campaign of 
1813. — Victory of Lutzen.— Death of Moreau. — Battle of Leipsick. — Death of 
Poniatow;ski. — ^Bonaparte recrosses the Rhine, to arm the departments. — France 
invaded on two points. — Battle of Brienne. — Conference at Chatillon. — Battle of 
Montereau. — Discouragement and want of harmony in the French army. — ^The 
allies reach Paris. — Defence of the capital by the national-guard and the pupils 
of the Polytechnic school. — Capitulation of Paris. — x'^bdication of Bonaparte. — 
Death of Josephine. — Bonaparte goes to Elba. — Arrival of Louis XVIII. — Statue 
taken down from the column. — Congress at Vienna. — Bonaparte quits Elba, and 
returns to France 213 

CHAPTER XLVIL 

The hundred days. — Arrival of Bonaparte at Paris. — Louis XVIII. goes to Ghent. 
— The allies proscribe Napoleon. — The duchess d'Angouleme in the south. — ^The 
allies prepare to invade France. — Bonaparte prepares to march against them. — 
Divisions in the government.— ^The allies in Flanders. — Napoleon attacks and 
defeats the Prussians at Ligny. — Narrow escape of Blucher. — The French ad- 
vance. — Grouchy sent after the Prussians. — Arrival of Bonaparte at Quatre-Bras. 
— ^The French and English armies in presence of each other ; Napoleon and 
Wellington opposed.— Battle of Waterloo.— Fatal mistake of Grouchy.— The 
Prussians attack the French on flank. — Charge of Cavalry. — La garde meurt. 
— ^The French army becomes confused and is defeated. — ^The Prussians follow 
them. — ^Treachery among the French officers. — Bonaparte proposes to abdicate in 
favour of his son. — Offers to take command of the arnw as general. — The allies 
at Paris. — Capitulation. — Bonaparte goes on board an English vessel- — Asks an 
asylum in England. — Is sent to St. Helena, where he dies 222 

CHAPTER XL VIII. 

Second restoration. — ^Treaty of peace. — The allies retain the forts during three 
years. — Ney and Labedoyere. — Lavalette's imprisonment, and mode of escape.— 
Assassination of the duke de Berri. — Birth of the duke de Bourdeaux. — A civil 
war in Spain. — The French under the duke d'Angouleme march into Spain. — 
Death of Louis XVIII 228 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

Charles X. — Misunderstandings. — Attack and conquest of Algiers. — ^The fatal 
orders in council. — Dissolution of parliament. — A pun. — Great disorders in Paris. 
— Increase to a revolt ; finish by a revolution. — Description of the most striking 
events of the three memorable days. — Liberty of the press suspended. — Conster- 
nation in Paris.- Lamps broken on Monday night, 26th July, 1830. — ^Tuesday, 

2* 



XVlll CONTENTS. 

newspapers, though forbidden, are pubUshed. — Mobs assemble. — Newspapers 
read aloud in the garden of the Palais-Royal. — Manufacturers discharge iheir 
workmen. — The gendarmerie charge the mob. — Are pelted. — A report of tire- 
arms. — ^The people cry to arms! — Gunsmiths' broken open and pillaged. — Dis- 
charges of musketry. — 28th, the combat renew^ed. — Ministers quit their hotels 
and go to the Tuileries. — Barricades. — Paving-stones thrown from the windows 
on the military. — Soldiers of the hne hesitate. — Join the people. — Fighting con- 
tinued nearly all night — Thursday, 29th, a bloody day. — Powder magazines 
seized. — Barracks taken. — Populace enter, pellmell. — Furniture thrown from the 
windows. — Retreat of the troops. — The king offers to revoke the Ordonnances. — 
Is told that it is too late. — Offers to abdicate in favour of the Dauphin. — Refused. 
— Provisional government. — Duke of Orleans lietenant-general. — ^Tri-coloured 
flag. — Charles X. leaves St. Cloud ; goes to Rambouillet. — Abdicates. — Refuses 
an escort. — ^The populace of Paris march against Rambouillet. — Charles X. and 
his family emigrate. — Go to England. — Afterwards to Prague. — New Charter. — 
Duke of Orleans chosen king 229 

CHAPTER L. 

Louis Philip I. — ^The ministers of Charles X. try to escape. — Four of them are 
taken and condemned to perpetual imprisonment. — Irritation of the public at the 
time of their trial. — Insurrection on the 5th of June, 1832. — Dreadful combat on 
the 6th, in the rue St. Martin. — Duchess of Berri lands in the south of France. — 
Civil war in the Vendee. — The duchess taken in a very curious situation. — Con- 
fined in the castle of Blaye. — Declares herself married. — Is sent out of France. — 
Revolution at Brussels. — Separation ^f Holland from Flanders. — ^Interference of 
France and England. — Crown of the Netherlands offered to the duke of Ne- 
mours. — Not accepted. — Leopold of Saxe-Coburg chosen king. — He marries a 
daughter of Louis Philip. — Siege of Antwerp by the French. — Surrender of its 
citadel. — The Dutch retire. — Louis Philip is at first popular in France. — The re- 
volutionary spirit then arises. — Insurrections at Lyons and elsewhere. — Rigours 
of the government. — Attempts upon the king's hfe. — ^His conduct on the subject 
of the American Indemnity 234 



HISTORY OF FRANCE. 



CHAPTER I. 
GAUL. 

The extensive, yet compact country, now called France, and ]cnown 
formerly by the name of Gaul, was one of the most important which 
was liable to the general encroachments made by Rome on her neigh- 
bours. The inhabitants were very numerous and much disposed to 
martial achievements; frequently leaving their own country when 
they found their population increase, and establishing new settlements 
elsewhere. They were often at war with the great Roman republic, 
and not finally subdued until the last days of Roman liberty. 

Gaul contained the whole country bounded by the Pyrenees, the 
Alps, the Rhine, the Mediterranean sea, and the Ocean ; it was con- 
siderable, not only from its extent, but from its climate and fertility, and 
chiefly inhabited by the descendants of the Celtic race. These Celts 
by whom Gaul was first peopled, appear to have been the great family 
by which the habitable parts of Europe were first settled; but their 
descendants were conquered by the Gothic tribes, the second great 
colonists of this quarter of the globe. The manners of the Celts, and 
especially their religious institutions, were peculiar : their chief priests 
were the Druids, and to them was entrusted the public worship, and the 
preservation of their laws and histories. These were usually couched 
in poetry which the Druids committed to memory, and recited at their 
periodical meetings and festivals. 

These Druids seem to have erected one of the most complete systems 
of priesthood, that the world ever saw ; the government was always 
directed by their opinion, and they had absolute influence over ait 
classes of people. Human sacrifices were frequently offered up by 
them under an impression that we ought to present to the Deity what 
we hold most dear, which undoubtedly is human life. The Bards 
were only inferior to the Druids in importance. Music and Poetry 
were eagerly cultivated by them. They sung hymns to their Deity, 
and the praises of deceased warriors; and such was the affection of the 
people for these arts, that, at a later period, it was found the best 
method to translate the Sacred Writings into poetry and set them to 
music. 

What was France formerly called? Describe Gaul. The Celts. Then* man- 
ners. The Druids. Tiie Bards. 



20 THE GAULS IN ITALY. 

The Government in Gaul was various among the different independent 
states, which, according as custom prevailed among them, were go- 
verned by kings or by elective magistrates. They were a bold, fiery, 
warlike race ; the very women were used to sustain the fight when the 
men were defeated, and often slew themselves rather than surrender. 

In appearance they were a handsome people : bold, yet not without 
civility. They arranged their hair so as to give a wildness and ferocity 
to their aspect ; and their chiefs wore a twisted chain of gold. Manlius, 
an ancient Roman, who killed a champion thus decorated, assumed 
thence the additional name of Torquatus, or him with the Chain. They 
also wore bracelets and ornaments round the ancle, frequently of the 
same precious metal. 

The Gauls were very hospitable to strangers, profuse in eating, and 
still more so in the use of strong liquors. The Romans accused them 
of being fickle and treacherous in their engagements. When their 
numbers seemed about to exceed the means of subsistence, many of 
them departed from their native country to find new settlements at the 
expense of some richer, or more thinly peopled region. 

Thus the Gauls were fi-equently troublesome neighbours to the Ro- 
mans, passing the Alps into Lombardy where they established strong 
colonies. They frequently invaded the southern parts of Italy, and 
under their general, Brennus, even burnt and pillaged the city of Rome 
itself, three hundred and eighty-five years before the Christian era. 
They were, however, obliged to retreat, and were finally defeated by 
the Dictator Camillus. They rendered themselves formidable at a 
later period under a general named Brennus, who seized upon the trea- 
sures in the celebrated Temple of Apollo at Delphos. In these excur- 
sions, the Gallic mvaders acted, not as the forces of one united king- 
dom, but rather as an assemblage of independent bands of the various 
states and communities, into which the country was subdivided ; though 
subject, for a time, to a single chief. 

According to the opinion of Cicero, the Gauls, until the conquest of 
Julius Csesar, were the most obstinate and formidable enemies of the 
Romans. In the celebrated conspiracy of Catiline, it was the intention 
of the conspirators to have obtained from Gaul a considerable force for 
the execution of their purpose ; which comprehended nothing less than 
the total destruction of the Roman form of government. But certain 
ambassadors of the Allobroges, a people of Savoy in alliance with Rome, 
having informed the Consul Sanga of the proposals which had been 
made to them, caused the discovery of the plot. Nevertheless, the risk 
of their future interference was a secret reason for urging the sub- 
jugation of this powerful people. The Romans already possessed one 
small province in Gaul, and more than a century before Chrisfs birth 
the Consul Marcius Rex had prepared its subjection, by establishing a 
Roman colony between the Pyrenees and the city of Toulouse, where 
he founded the state called Narbonne. This colony was connected with 

Describe the government of Gaul. Character of the people. Appearance. 
What is said of Manlius ? Of the Gauls? What countrj' did they invade ? Under 
■whom >. When ? What was done by Brennus ? By the othef Brennus ? What is 
eaid of Cicero ? Of Catiline's conspiracy ? Of Marcius Rex ? 



THE HELVETIANS. 21 

Italy by a military road between the Alps and Pyrenees, and afforded 
most of the pretexts of the Republic for interfering with the affairs of 
GauL 

The protection of the Allobroges and other states in the neighbour- 
hood of the province which had embraced the friendship of Rome, 
formed an apology for such intermeddling. Thus the conquest of Gaul 
was in a certain degree founded on state necessity ; but besides this, 
the Romans were compelled to make a war of subjection on a people 
who were always restless neighbours, and occasionally dangerous 
enemies. Julius Csesar was a general equally wise and skilful, and 
neglected no means of accomplishing an object so essential to his people, 
and to his own fortunes. The principal circumstance which afforded 
exercise for CsBsar's political sagacity, and a pretext at the same time 
for his military interference, was the subdivision of this great country 
into a variety of cities, governments and states, engaged in endless 
feuds which perpetually called for, or at least served to excuse, the 
intervention of the Roman general, who, while he pretended to advo- 
cate the rights of some, failed not to prepare the subjugation of the 
whole. A singular resolution on the part of the Helvetians, a Gallic 
tribe, afforded the Romans the first opportunity for armed interference 
in the affairs of Gaul. 

This nation had defeated a considerable army of the Republic, and 
only spared their lives on condition of their passing beneath the yoke ; 
an acknowledgment of the most abject surrender. One of Caesar's 
own relatives had shared this degradation. 

The habit of emigration was then so general, that the spirit of local 
attachment, which is at this day one of the strongest ties of the modern 
Swiss, was unknown to the ancient Helvetians. With the same im- 
patience which had formerly induced their Celtic forefathers to change 
their position, they determined to quit their barren mountains, and to 
march forth in a body, to establish new settlements in other regions. 

After some feuds among themselves the Helvetii set forth upon their 
adventurous expedition. They burnt their towns and villages, and, 
with their wives and children, cattle, and slaves, departed. An incur- 
sion so bold as that of the Helvetians, gave the Romans a fair pretence 
for resisting ; the more as the former proposed to march into Gaul itself 
through the territory of the Allobroges, allies of the Romans, and of 
course under their protection. 

At this extraordinary intelligence, Csesar set off with the utmost 
speed from Rome, to look after the pressing affairs of the Gallic pro- 
vince, which had been committed to his charge. He defended the fron- 
tiers of the Allobroges by raising a long wall, so flanked with towers, 
that the Helvetians did not dare to attack it. 

The expatriated people being obliged to change their line of march, 
had only one road remaining, which led into Gaul through the territory 
of the Sequani, now called Burgundy. This road running among cliffs 

Of the Allobroges ? Of Caesar ? What was CcEsar's pretext for interfering ? 
What had the Helvetians done ? What did they determine to do ? How did 
they prepare for going ? How did Cassar proceed ? Which way did the Helve= 
tians then s:o ? - . 



22 THE HELVETIANS CONaUERED. THE GOTHS, 

and torrents was by its nature judged totally inaccessible without the 
consent of the Sequani themselves ; the Helvetians however obtained 
permission to pass through the defiles of the Burgundians unopposed ; 
so that they might afterwards march in a direction which would enable 
them to approach the ancient Tolosatium (now Toulouse). By this 
movement the Roman province was highly endangered. The ^Eduans, 
a people near Autun, friends, if not allies of the Romans, were mortal 
enemies of the Sequani, and besought assistance from Csesar against the 
Helvetians. Caesar therefore hastened to intercept their proposed 
march, and to prevent the threatened devastation of Gaul. So rapid 
were his movements, that finding the rear of their army still encamped 
on the eastern banks of the Arar, or Soane, he fell upon it and cut it to 
pieces. He then constructed, in a single day, a bridge to pass his army 
across that river ; engaged in a decisive battle the main body of the 
Helvetians, and after a severe contest, defeated them with much slaugh- 
ter. The Helvetians submitted, and by Caesar's order returned to their 
ancient possessions, excepting only one tribe called the Boii, who were 
permitted to settle in the territory of Autun, their junction being consi- 
dered advantageous. 

Julius Caesar having thus established the terror of his name, and 
almost annihilated the warlike Helvetians, was soon called to undertake 
a war which brought him in contact with adversaries still more formi- 
dable. Of this he was informed in a private council held by the ^dui. 
They acquainted him that a feud had long existed among the Gauls; 
between the ^Eduans on one hand, and on the other the Sequani, and 
another powerful tribe, called the Arverni, a people situated on the 
Loire, and united with the Sequani against the yEdui. Finding that 
their combined strength was unable to conquer the ^Edui, these tribes 
agreed to call to their assistance the warlike German nations from the 
opposite side of the Rhine. 

I must here remind you, that though a part of Germany had been 
originally settled by the Celtic tribes, yet their successors had been, at 
a subsequent period, subdued or banished by a people of a different race. 
This great and most nnportant division of mankind, finally constituted 
the grand source from which the modern nations of Europe have been 
populated. 

They were generally termed Goths, but had among themselves a 
variety of distinctive names. Their language was called Gothic, and 
was very different from that of the Celts. The Goths did not follow 
the religion of the Celtic tribes, nor were they acquainted with the 
order of the Druids. They worshipped the Sun and the Moon, and 
several imaginary deities. 

They were much attached to divination, which was chiefly exercised 
by the matrons; the females received, from this cause, a degree of 
honour seldom paid to thern by barbarous tribes. The Goths possessed 
some qualities which in the eyes of barbarians are of high value. They 
were large-limbed, tall, and very strong, having generally red hair and 



"WHiat did Cfesar do ? What new quarrel arose ? What is said of the Goths ? 
What did they vvv)rsiiip ? \Vhat was their appearance ? 



C^ESAS CONQUERS ARIOVISTUS. 23 

blue eyes. Their chiefs commanded during the time of war only, and 
some distinguished men were elected as their judges during peace; 
each of these magistrates had a council of one hundred persons, sup- 
ported by the public. The women held a high rank amongst them, and 
were remarkable for their chaste and honourable character. The young 
men were not allowed to marry till the age of twenty-one ; but in the 
meanwhile they practised those habits of restraint and sobriety, which 
made them fit for the duties of manhood, when they were permitted to 
assume the situation of a husband and a father. The women on their 
part finding themselves the objects of respect and attention^ were 
anxious to obtain a higher reputation in society than is usually assigned 
to females in the uncivilized state. They partook in the toils and dan- 
gers of war, and when a battle was irretrievably lost, they often, by 
slaying themselves and their children, gave dreadful examples that they 
preferred death to slavery. 

The character of these Gothic tribes had something superior even to 
that of the Gauls ; they were more steady and persevering ; could bet- 
ter endure the fatigues of a long and doubtful fight ; and if inferior in 
the fury of a headlong onset, they kept their ground more firmly. The 
approach of these Goths from the east gradually subdued the Celtic 
colonies who occupied Germany; — some penetrating northwards into 
Scandinavia, while others went to the south and east, till they were 
checked by the mountainous regions of Switzerland and the Tyrol, and 
by the broad course of the Rhine. The fair regions of Gaul beyond 
this great river naturally became objects of envy to the Germans, whose 
climate was less genial. It is natural therefore that the Germans should 
have willingly accepted the invitation of the Arverni and Sequani, to 
cross the Rhine, to support them against the ^Edui; nor is it surprising 
that Csesar should try to prevent it. He soon learned that Ariovistus 
and the Germans had already taken from the Sequani one-third of their 
territory, and demanded a third more for the accommodation of rein- 
forcements, which were about to join him from Germany. 

When Csesar sent to Ariovistus to know why he assaulted the allies 
of the Roman people, he answered him, that he had yet to learn what 
pretence Cfesar or the Romans could have for interfering with his ope- 
rations in Gaul. — The Romans then marched against him ; but the Gauls 
exaggerated the strength and ferocity of the Germans so that they spread 
a panic even among the Roman legions. Csesar by his address and elo- 
quence calmed this mutiny: he declared that he would attack the enemy 
though only the Tenth Legion should attend him. 

This excited the emulation of the whole ; and they called out to be 
led against the Germans, They advanced, forced the German prince 
to come to an action, routed his whole army with great slaughter, and 
drove them across the Rhine. By this decisive victory the reputation 
of the Roman general was so highly raised, that it enabled him to reduce 
the whole country to obedience. He constituted himself judge in the 

Their manners ? Character ? Their conquests ? What did Cssar learn ? 
What did Ariovistus saj^ ? What alarmed the Romans? What did C33sar say? 
What was the consequence ? 



24 C^SAR CONQUERS GAUL. 

numerous quarrels which took place among so many independent states; 
and his decisions encouraged wars amongst them, which he so managed 
that the victory always fell to the side favourable to the Romans. The 
Belgse, a people of Gaul, were the first to see in this supremacy of the 
Roman general, the seeds of future and absolute subjugation. This 
people residing nearest to the Germans, and probably being of German 
descent, were remarkable for their courage and skill in war. Yet their 
alliance against the Romans caused repeated invasions and very bloody 
defeats, which increased the fame of Ceesar's arms and caused the other 
nations to fear him. But although it was easy for Csesar to maintain the 
office of governor of Gaul for a short time, yet the temper of that people, 
equally fierce and fickle, rendered them very difficult to govern. Ten 
years of the active life of Ceesar were spent in efforts to reduce Gaul 
to the condition of a Roman province, and for a long time with very 
little success. It was in vain that Caesar laid aside the clemency which 
he had practised, both from policy and inclination. It was in vain that in 
one action, the river Aisne was so filled up, and gorged with the dead 
bodies of the Gauls, that the corpses served as a bridge to their comrades 
who escaped fi-om the slaughter. These and other severities did not 
prevent a powerful and almost universal insurrection against the Romans ; 
in which the iEdui themselves, though friends of Rome, wearied out by 
exactions, did not refuse to join. 

The chief of the league, whose name was Vercingetorix, after many 
brave exploits, was made prisoner, and Caesar remained triumphant. The 
wars of Gaul terminated by the storming of a very strong fortress, 
called Uxellodunum, where Csesar cruelly commanded the right hands 
of all the garrison who were fit to bear arms, to be struck off! ° Plutarch 
tells us that Csesar, in less than ten years, took more than eighty cities 
by storm, subdued three hundred states, and fought with thirteen millions 
of men. 

This .will appear less astonishing if the reader recollects that Csesar 
seldom encountered one nation of Gauls, without the aid of the others 
with whom he was in alliance at the time ; and thus, though the Roman 
general conducted the campaign, Gaul was principally overcome by 

THE DISUNION OF HER OWN NATIVE FORCES. 

In the 49th year before the Christian era, Csesar returned to Rome, 
to employ, against the liberties of his own countrymen, those troops and 
that discipline, which had been formed during ten years' wars against 
the Gauls ; and Rome became exposed to the mercy of her own armies 
like the fabled hunter, to the attack of his own hounds. 



What IS said of the Belgae ? Their character ? Of Caesar ? Of the league against 
the Romans ? Of Vercingetorix ? What says Plutarch ? How was Gaul overcome ? 
What happened in the year A. C. 49 ? 



POLYTHEISM INTRODUCED INTO GAUL. 25 

CHAPTER 11. 
ROMAN DOMINION IN GAUL. 

Rome professed to take the conquered states under her protection ; to 
acknowledge the authority of their magistrates, and to give them per- 
haps a golden diadem, a curule chair of ivory, or some other emblem of 
authority. The various cities, states or provinces of Gaul, all became 
subject to Rome ; but the servility varied, according to the circumstances 
of surrender. Some v^^ere permitted to retain the name of freedom ; 
others w^ere termed confederates of the Roman people ; to some a Roman 
governor was appointed with power over the persons and property of 
the unhappy natives. But in all, the Roman legions occupied their 
strong-holds. 

A capitation tax was levied for the benefit of the Republic, and the 
children of the soil were forced to serve as soldiers in different countries, 
to deprive other nations of their liberties. But the distinctive titles at 
first given to these pretended alliances, were soon entirely changed into 
sixteen grand divisions, called provinces. This was an arrangement 
made under the reign of Augustus ; and thus the Romans threw off the 
mask under which, at the commencement, they thought it necessary to 
disguise their conquest. 

Now let us see whether the Gauls obtained anything in exchange for 
their liberties. It was the boast of Rome to extend some degree of 
civilisation among the prostrated vassals of her empire, and to inculcate 
a milder kind of spiritual rites than that which had animated them in 
their days of savage freedom. With this view, the abominable mode 
of worship by human sacrifice, was forbidden throughout the Gallic 
states. 

In abolishing this barbarous custom, there can be no doubt that the 
morals of the people were amended ; nor can we blame the means by 
which the Romans endeavoured to diminish the power of the Druids ; 
although the real cause of their doing so was, the reiterated efforts of 
this priesthood to inflame their countrymen against the yoke of the con- 
querors. , ^ 

Those priests resisted all innovations, and at first with tolerable suc- 
cess ; for no temples were built in Gaul until the time of Tiberius, 
when a general tax over the whole country was proposed at Rome, and 
only abandoned on the Gauls consenting to erect a temple to the memory 
of Csesar and for the adoration of Augustus. Thus, as associates in the 
throne of the single deity, were placed that very Julius Csesar, the in- 
vader and tyrant of their own country, and that Augustus whose early 
cruelties were combined with the brutal pollutions of his later years. 

Polytheism was thus introduced into GauJ : it took root and throve to 

What was the situation of Gaul under the Romans ? What was done in the 
reign of Augustus? What was abolished? Why? What was introduced into 
Gaul ? 



26 HUMAN SACRIFICES. THE BAKDS. 

a most wonderful degree. The rich exhausted themselves in building' 
temples ; some to the Gods recognised by the Romans, and others to 
imaginary deities whom they had sanctified according to their own fancy. 
A melancholy part of this perversion was, that whilst the Gauls imbibed 
all the superstitions of idolatry and Polytheism, they retained their cus- 
tom of human sacrifices. 

These infernal rites, part of the original worship of the Druidical 
system, were practised secretly in defiance of the edicts of the Empe- 
rors for abolishing it ; for it must not be supposed that the human victims 
were, after the conquest of Gaul, executed in the temples which had 
been erected after the fashion of the Romans. It appears that animals 
alone were sacrificed within these new places of worship ; but the people 
looking back to the days of their freedom, and desiring to worship as 
they had formerly worshipped, met by appointment in the dark recesses 
of unfrequented woods, and the Druids resumed, at these secret con- 
claves, the power which they were ho longer permitted to exercise in 
public. Bearing on their head the coronet of oak leaves which they 
esteemed sacred ; — clad in white robes, these ancient priests met the 
people in the deep forest to worship in secrecy and silence according to 
the rites of their forefathers. The victim was usually a criminal who 
had deserved death; or some individual of small account, who had been 
seized and reserved for this inhuman sacrifice. At other times it was a 
voluntary victim, who offered himself to expiate the sins of the people, 
like the scape-goat of the Israelites. 

On these occasions the Druids announced to him, as his reward, eter- 
nal happiness in the society of the Gods, to propitiate whom he consent- 
ed to suffer death ; and the people took care that he should, for some 
time before his death, enjoy as many of the pleasures of this life as they 
could procure him. He was slain by the hand of the consecrated Druids. 
They observed every circumstance of his mortal agony ; the manner in 
which he fell ; the course of his blood down the rugged front of the 
sacred stone : and from these circumstances they affected to divine how 
far the deity was propitious to their designs. 

At these secret meetings, the bards were also called in to heighten, 
by music and melody, the impression which was made on the assistants 
by the eloquence and mystic predictions of the priests. The themes 
chosen v^^ere the ancient glory of Gaul and her inhabitants, who though 
long the terror of distant countries, were now unable to protect their 
own against the Romans. The passions of the hearers became excited 
by such solemnities, and schemes of revolt were formed. 

The vicinity of the Free Germans, and their incursions and conquests 
upon the Gallic territory, caused another vexation which excited the 
inhabitants to revolt. They complained that while the Romans assumed 
the title of their masters, and drained the provinces of the youth with 
whom they could have defended themselves, they left them exposed to 
the inroads of a barbarous and formidable enemy. These dissensions 
produced general convulsion throughout Gaul in the year 741 after the 
foundation of Rome. Drusus, who was sent by the emperor to still 

Wfiaf was retained ? By whom ? How were the human sacrifices conducted? 

What, caused a revolt ? When ? 



DEFEAT OF VINDEX. 27 

these commotions, convoked all the Gallic chiefs and principal magis- 
trates at Lyons, under pretence of dedicating the temple to Augustus. 
Here, by promises and some benefits, he managed to disconcert the plot 
of the disaffected. He then crossed the Rhine, and repulsed the Ger- 
mans ; and thus the time when the Gauls might have shaken off the 
Roman yoke passed away in inactivity. 

In the year of the christian era 78, during the reign of the tyrant 
Nero, an opportunity occurred, when the Gauls, by the assistance of an 
enterprising leader, were very near accomplishing their meditated pro- 
ject of successful insurrection. This leader, named Caius Julias Vin- 
dex, was descended from the line of one of the ancient kings of Aqui- 
taine, endowed with great strength of body and mind, and was an excel- 
lent soldier. The cruel exactions with which the tyrant then oppressed 
Gaul, gave Vindex, who was governor of Celtic Gaul, an opportunity 
of denouncing Nero, as one of the most depraved monsters that ever 
existed. 

He called upon his hearers, not to rise in insurrection against the 
Roman empire, but to combine for the purpose of removing Nero from 
the government. The people, already exasperated, took arms, and Vin- 
dex was soon at the head of one hundred thousand men. Nero was 
rather pleased than alarmed at this insurrection, conceiving it would 
afford his treasury great wealth from the forfeited estates of the insur- 
gents. He placed a reward of two hundred and fifty myriads of drachms 
upon the head of Vindex. When this was told to the daring leader, he 
replied, " To whomsoever will deliver me the head of Nero, I will be 
contented to resign my own life in return for having destroyed so great 
an enemy of the human race," 

Virgiiius Rufus, a Roman general who then com"manded on the banks 
of the Rhine, advanced against Vindex, and defeated him with the loss 
of twenty thousand men. Hurried on by despair, the defeated general 
killed himself just before Nero's dethronement and death. For some 
years after the death of Vindex there is little worthy of notice in the 
history of Gaul. Like other provinces it suffered the severe and tyran- 
nical exactions of the Roman governors. 

The Gauls were among the first to recognise as emperor the cele- 
brated Septimius Severus, who was governor of the province of Lyons. 
The last scene of the civil wars which completed the elevation of Seve- 
rus to the imperial throne, was the defeat of his rival Albinus at Timur- 
teum about twenty leagues from Lyons. The Roman empire began 
now to totter, and different nations, which by force of arms she had 
compelled to retire from her boundaries, began to thicken around her 
for the purpose of ravage and plunder ; others with the intent of making 
conquests and settlements, within the imperial territory. Three of the 
nations, or coalitions of tribes, who had regarded Gaul as their natural 
conquest, must be distinguished from the others from their becoming the 
corner-stone of the great monarchy to which they gave a name : these 
are the Franks, the founders of the present kingdom of France. The 

Who disconcerted it ? How ? Who raised a revolt in Nero's reign ? How many- 
men had he ? What anecdote is related of Vindex and Nero ? Who conquered 
Viiidex ? What wa« his fate ? What is said of Severus ? Of the Roman empire 



28 JULIAN THE APOSTATE THE VANDALS IN GAUL. 

Germans, the most formidable enemies of Rome since the days of Cae- 
sar, frequently defeated by the Romans, but always resisting them, are 
supposed, about the middle of the third century, to have formed a new 
association or alliance for the purpose of mutual defence, to which in 
token of their love of liberty they gave the name of Franks or Free- 
men. This formidable people commenced a series of furious incursions 
upon Gaul, which the Romans under Gallienus and Posthumus endea- 
voured to repel. The province suffered greatly from the military ope- 
rations, being exposed to the ravages of both parties. Indeed the south- 
eastern provinces of Gaul had been so cruelly ravaged, that they afforded 
the Franks only a road to the Pyrenees, and thence into Spain which 
contained a spoil far more tempting. The Franks had yet a country 
where they resided when they chose to abide at rest ; and to their ori- 
ginal settlements on the eastern or German side of the Rhine they had 
added a considerable tract called at that time Toxandria, which appears 
to have comprehended great part of Brabant. 

Their habitations were in woods and morasses, or on the banks of 
lakes and rivers. The Allemanni were another and separate associa- 
tion resembling that of the Franks : the Suevi formed the strength of 
this confederation, a tribe much esteemed for courage ; they assumed 
the title of Allemanni, or All-men, to mark the general union of their 
league. Besides making distant and extensive excursions, one of which 
brouo-ht them almost to the city of Rome itself; they, like the Franks, 
had a fixed abode on the eastern banks of the Upper Rhine ; and they 
were not less formidable to Gaul than the Franks. 

About the year 357, Julian, who from his renouncing the Christian 
religion obtained the epithet of the Apostate, was sent with very insuf- 
ficient forces to rescue Gaul from the ravages of the barbarians. He 
defeated the Allemanni in the battle of Strasburg, and afterwards 
crossed the Rhine three times; upon each occasion taking forts and 
winning 'battles, so that Gaul was for a time relieved from the incur- 
sions of these barbarous enemies. The provinces of Gaul enjoyed for 
some time the advantages procured by the active talents of Julian, and 
although the Franks were celebrated for inconstancy, they remained for 
some time faithful to Rome. They even resisted the temptation of an 
opportunity to break their alliance with the Romans, offered by the 
great invasion of Rhodagast or Radagaisus, which eventually destroyed 
the Roman empire, except in Italy itself This Barbarian prince had 
collected from the shores of the Baltic sea, an immense army in which 
were so many Goths, that the name of King of the Goths was generally 
given to their commander. The Vandals, the Suevi, and the Burgun- 
dians joined his standard. The Emperor Honorius sent against them 
his minister Stilicho, a man of warlike and political talent ; he came 
upon the king of the Goths while he was besieging Florence, and by a 
rapid movement surrounded the besiegers, who were soon reduced to a 
starving condition, and obliged to surrender. A hundred thousand men 
were still however in the north of Italy ; Stilicho advised them to attack 

The Germans ? The Franks ? Their habitations ? The Allemanni ? Julian ? 
Rhodaj^ast ? Who sent Stilicho against the Goths and Vandals ? What was done 

by Sliliclio ? 



GAUL RAVAGED.—THE FRANKS.— THE GOTHS. 29 

Gaul, hoping- thus to relieve Italy from such unwelcome guests. They 
took the hint, and soon appeared on the Gallic frontiers. Those wlio 
attacked Gaul from the Upper Rhine experienced neither assistance nor 
opposition from the Alleraanni. But the Vandals, who were very nume- 
rous, approached the territories occupied by the Franks on the lower 
part of the river. Faithful to their engagements with the Romans, the 
Franks advanced to oppose them, and twenty thousand Vandals were 
slain in the battle. But the Alani, another nation of barbarians, came 
up during the conflict and compelled the Franks to retreat. Without 
further opposition the remains of the army of Radagaisus crossed the 
Rhine which was then frozen ; carried fire and sword into the rich 
country, which had scarcely recovered from the devastations of the 
Franks and Allemanni, and reduced it again to a smoking desert. This 
invasion of Gaul took place in 407. 



CHAPTER III. 
THE FRANKS AND HUNS. 



Gaul could no longer be considered as an appendage to the Roman 
Empire. The province was filled with tribes of barbarians of Gothic or 
Celtic descent, carrying on a desultory warfare with each other, with- 
out any decisive result. You must well remember the Franks, as in 
their descendants we find the origin of the powerful kingdom of France. 
They occupied both sides of the lower Rhine, and at first opposed the 
remains of Radagaisus's army, but were overpowered by the Vandals 
and other hordes. They then resolved to seize upon a share of the 
prize which they could no longer defend ; and amidst the general con- 
fusion, found no difficulty in adding to their western frontier a largo 
portion of territory. At this period they had established a kingly 
government by hereditary descent in the Merovingian family. — These 
princes allowed their hair to descend in long curls over their shoulders, 
and thence were called the long-haired kings; while the rest of the 
Franks shaved their hair on the back part of the head. Their domi- 
nions extended as far westward as the banks of the Somme, 

The Goths, or that part of them called Visigoths, or western Goths, 
had established themselves in the province of Gascony, and their chief 
Theodoric had been converted with his subjects to the Christian faitl). 
^Etius the Roman general made war against Theodoric, but a common 
enemy was approaching, so formidable as to compel both parties to unite. 
It was the unexpected appearance of a countless army of Asiatics on the 
borders of the still harassed Eastern Empire. This extraordinary emi- 
gration had arisen out of convulsions so far to the eastward as the Great 

By the Franks ? The Alani? By the army of Radagaisns ? When ? What is 
«aid of Gaul ? Of the Franks ? Of the Merovingian Family ? Of Theodoric and 
iEtius ? The Tartars ? 

3 * 



30 THE HUNS. ATTILA. 

Wall of China. Myriads of the mounted Tartar tribes collected tog'ether, 
dragging or driving on each other, and poured westward like locusts. 
Wherever this tide of armed emigration came, it struck universal terror. 
They were extremely numerous, nor was their appearance less terrible 
than their numerical force. 

The Gothic and German tribes possessed a strength of limb and lofti- 
ness of stature seemingly beyond the usual growth. The Huns (as 
these new invaders were called) were dwarfish in stature, and their 
limbs, though strongly formed, were disproportioned to each other. 
Their countenances were of the cast commonly called Chinese ; and 
their small sparkling eyes deep sunk, and at a distance from each other ; 
a flat nose and a large mouth, added peculiar hideousness to the wild 
and frightful expression of the face. Their manners were ferocious 
and brutal, and they are said to have resembled demons in features 
and actions. The Gothic tribes on the northern bank of the Danube, 
were the first to experience the furious attack of these new enemies, 
and were so much struck with terror, that, like one wave pursued by 
another, the body of the nation poured towards the banks of the Danube, 
and implored permission to cross that mighty barrier, and to take shelter 
under the protection of the Roman Emperor, from the barbarians who 
were pouring upon them from the deserts of Tartary. The Goths were 
admitted to take refi^ige within the limits of the empire, and they never 
again left the territory ; but remained there, sometimes in the character 
of avowed enemies, and at others in that of doubtful auxiliaries and 
friends. The Huns did not follow the Goths, but took undisturbed pos- 
session of Hungary to which they gave their name, and of great part of 
eastern Germany. These fertile regions seemed sufficient for their 
wants, and their incursions upon the Empire of the East were not of a 
terrific character. Bat in 433, we find the forces of the Huns again 
combined under the guidance of one well qualified to use a power so 
tremendous. This was Attila, or Etzell, as he is called by German tra- 
dition, surtiamed the Scourge of God. 

By the ferocious activity of his followers, he was enabled to make 
good the inhuman boast, that grass never grew on the spot over which 
he passed. His first wars were with the Eastern empire, from which 
he exacted a large yearly tribute, an extensive cession of territory, and 
obliged Theodosius, then Emperor of the East, to submit to the most 
humiliating demands. 

Attila determined to pour upon Gaul the terrors of a Tartar invasion. 
^tius could only attempt to defend the Roman province against the 
barbarians of the East, by forming an alliance with one of those nations 
of barbarians which issued from the north. The Visigoths, or western 
Gotlis were in possession of Aquitaine, and had fixed their capital at 
Toulouse. This powerful nation was governed by Theodoric, the son 
of Alaric a king of the Goths, and obtained his aid for the defence of 
Gaul against the Huns. These Tartars advanced with all their tribes ; 

What was the appearance of the Goths? Of the Huns ? What country did they 
invade ? Where did the Goths settle ? Who settled Hungary ? Who was the leader 
of the Hung in 433 ? What emperor did he humble ? What country did Attila in- 
vade ? 



RETREAT OF ATTILA. 31 

and Attila flattered ^tius and Theodoric alternately with his friendship, 
and threatened them with his formidable enmity ; suggesting to each, 
that the peril respected the other alone. While thus amusing them, he 
crossed the Rhine by a bridge of boats ; penetrated into the centre of 
the province of Gaul, which he wasted ; and laid siege to the important 
town of Orleans. But mutual alarm had now accomplished a union 
between the Roman Patrician and the valiant Gothic monarch, which 
mutual distrust had so long impeded. Theodoric raised a powerful army 
and appeared at their head ; iEtius called to arms the people in Gaul 
who were still attached to the Romans ; and among them brought to the 
field Merovseus the long-haired king of the Franks ; though Attila called 
that nation his allies. The confederates marched forward and surprised 
Attila while in the attack upon Orleans. He was compelled to raise 
the siege, and recrossing the river concentrated his cavalry near Chalons 
in Champagne. The Goths with the army of JEtius marched against 
him, and the crisis seemed to approach which was to decide the fate of 
this fair portion of Europe. Both were barbarians, but the Goths had 
adopted some doctrines of morality which mitigated the ferocity of 
iheir natural manners, and rendered them far more civilised than the 
Tartars. 

The battle of Chalons therefore was likely to determine whether the 
European or the Asiatic Savage was to predominate in the province of 
Gaul. 

The aged but valiant king of the Goths, Theodoric, was killed in the 
front of the battle, but his place being bravely filled by his eldest son 
Torrimond, the impetuous career of his followers was not checked, and 
Attila was compelled to seek, after the Scythian custom, a retreat 
among his wagons, which served to transport their families, and some- 
times to fortify them against a prevailing enemy. The troops of the 
Romans suffered greatly, and ^Etius their leader being separated from 
his soldiers, sought refuge in the camp of his allies. The battle was 
dreadful to the victors as well as the vanquished; and the former judg- 
ed it more prudent to suffer Attila to effect a retreat watched by a part 
of their army, than to risk the glory of their hard-earned victory in an 
attempt to cut off' the retreat of the Tartar prince. Attila retired to 
the northern parts of Italy, and died not long after. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CLOVIS, FIRST CHRISTIAN KING (481). 

T HAVE already noticed the Franks, as founders of modern France. 
But the original extent of their dominions was small, and the increase 
of their power slow. In the time of Clovis which is the same name 

What town did he besiege ? Who united against him ? What was the result ? 
What is said of the Franks ? 



82 CLOVIS AND ALARIC. 

as Louis (the chl of the Celtic tribes resembling the aspirated hi), they 
made great advances rather by the address of the monarch, than by tJie 
superior valour of his followers, though the Franks were allowed to be 
among the bravest of the German tribes who invaded Gaul. Some of 
the Gallic colonists still retained the name of Romans, and endeavour- 
ed to embody themselves under the command of one Syagrius, who 
established his head-quarters at Soissons. But Clovis Vv'ith his warlike 
Franks commenced his career of conquest by defeating him. He took 
him prisoner, caused him to be beheaded, and seized upon his domin- 
ions, thus adding to the territories of the Franks the provinces of Gaul 
betwixt the Rhine and the Loire. Clovis aftervv^ards vanquished a king 
of Thuringia, named Basin, and extended his sway over his country. 
But Clevis's success was principally determined by his adopting the 
Christian faith. The chief agent in his conversion was his Queen 
Clotilda, daughter of Gundobald, King of Burgundy, his neighbour and 
ally. By her affectionate exhortations his mind was disposed to Chris- 
tianity, though he long hesitated to embrace it. At length in a battle 
with the Allemanni on the upper part of the Rhine, Clovis, being hard 
pressed, vowed that if he should obtain a victory he would become a 
Christian. The victory was obtained, and the acquisition of new 
dominions greatly augmented the power of the Franks. 

Soon after this (A. D. 496), Clovis adopted the Christian faith and was 
baptized in the cathedral of Rheims, where it has been ever since the 
custom to crown and consecrate the Monarchs of France. 

Burgundy, the country of his wife, was afterwards subjected by 
Clovis, who was both a dexterous politician and an accomplished sol- 
dier. Gundobald was attacked and defeated, and after his death his 
son Sigismund was taken and put to death, the sons of Clovis causing 
him and his family to be thrown into a well. But before the conquest 
of Burgundy was accomplished war broke out between Clovis and those 
Visigoth^, who had assisted in defeating the Huns at the battle of 
Chalons. These Visigoths, whose religious opinions differed from those 
of the Franks, were at this time governed by a prince called Alaric, 
who was jealous of the growing conquests of the catholic Clovis. The 
two monarchs however met as friends upon an Island of the Loire, 
which then divided their dominions. They feasted together and parted 
as friends, but with mutual rancour at heart. 

Clovis held a council of his barons ; — " Let not these heretics," he 
said, " longer enjoy the choicest portion of Gaul !" He was answered 
by loud acclamations, and to show his own zeal rode to the front of his 
nobles, and throwing his battle-axe forward said : " Where my frajicisca 
alights will I dedicate a church to the blessed St, Peter, prince of the 
Apostles, and to his holy brethren!" On the spot where the weapon 
fell, Clovis erected the great church now called Sainte-Genevieve, for- 
merly St. Peter and St. Paul. Clovis then advanced against Alaric, 
who appeared at the head of an army of Goths, far superior to that of 
the Franks. A battle ensued near Poitiers (A. D. 500), where Clovis 

Whom did Clovis defeat? What country did he next acquire? Who convert- 
ed him to C'hristianity ? Where was he baptized ? What coimlry d\d he next ac- 
quire ^ IIow ? What is said of Alaric ? Of Clovis ' WJierc did he erect a church ? 



INSTITUTIONS OF THE FRANKS. 33 

prevailed. He showed his personal bravery in the pursuit, and slew 
Alaric with his own lance ; but escaped with difficulty, from two des- 
perate Gothic champions, who united to avenge their monarch's death, 
by that of his conqueror. 

Clevis's reputation as a conqueror was however, in his latter years, 
somewhat tarnished by a defeat before Aries, from Theodoric the Great, 
King of the Ostrogoths ; but it did not greatly affect his power, and he 
seized every opportunity of extending his dominions either by fraud or 
violence ; cutting off without mercy the princes of the Merovingian 
race, whose interests seemed likely to interfere with those of his own 
family. Yet, though stained with the blood of his own relatives, as 
well as others, Clovis, with many crimes as an individual, was an able 
monarch. He not only extended the power of his tribe, over what we 
must in future call France ; combining into one strong monarchy the 
fragments of so many barWous tribes; but he also ruled them by 
equitable and humane laws. His code was called the Salic and Ri- 
puarian, from having its origin on the banks of the Saal, and the eastern 
side of the Rhine ; the laws bore the stamp of the warlike freedom 
which distinguished the ancient Franks. 

The king gave to his friends and followers the temporary possession 
of benefices, fiefs or farms ; stipulating the services they were to per- 
form in return for granting to them the profits of the soil. These 
grants terminated at the will of the holder of the soil, or at the death 
of the tenant ; but at last it became usual to renew the grant, in favour 
of his eldest son, or nearest heir, who paid, or rendered, a certain 
acknowledgement for this preference. 

The female inheritance was prohibited by the Salic law. In many 
respects the Frank institutions were barbarous. Slaughter was only 
punished by a fine, according to the value at which the law rated the 
person slain. 

Ordeals of various kinds were used in order to make manifest the 
guilt or innocence of the accused person : such as walking barefoot 
among bars of hot iron ; and similar unreasonable appeals contrary to 
the laws of nature, were admitted for obtaining a special testimony of 
innocence. But a mode of trial far more suitable to the manners of 
these martial barbarians was the referring the issue of a law-suit or dis- 
pute of any kind, to the encounter of two champions, espousing the 
different sides of the contest in the lists. This regulation was so well 
suited to the genius and disposition of the barbaric tribes, that it was 
soon generally introduced throughout Europe. Thus arose in France, 
the first germ of those institutions, called the feudal system, the trial 
by combat, and other peculiarities, which distinguished the jurispru- 
dence of the Middle Ages. 

We can also trace, in the customs and laws of the Franks, the same 
rude marks of the Trial by Jury. The Jurymen were, in the days of 
the origin of law, called compurgators. They were little more than 

Whom did he conquer and slay ? Where ? Who defeated Clovis ? Where ? 
What was Clovis's character ? What laws did he establish ? What were its pro- 
visions respecting lands ? Inheritance ? Ordeals ? Duels ? What institutions 
thus arose in France ? What was the origin of trial by jury ? 



34 THE MEROVINGIAN KINGS. 

witnesses brought forward to give evidence in behalf of the accused 
person. " You have heard things alleged against me," said the accused, 
"but I will produce a certain number of compurgators that are well 
acquainted with me, and who will pledge their oath that I am incapable 
of what has been imputed to me." The compurgators became limited 
to a certain number, and assisted in judging the cause, listening to the 
proof adduced on both sides, and deciding which of the two predomi- 
nated. So that from being v/itnesses they became jurymen. 

The warlike habits of the Franks induced them to claim such supe- 
riority over the Gallic or Roman colonists, that a very great part of 
them was reduced to the condition of bondsmen ; but the more refined 
provincialists found a retreat in the church, and, in their character as 
priests, dealt forth to them the good and evil things of the next world, 
in consideration of partaking largely of the good things of this. 

Clovis having laid the foundation of a mighty state, died in 511 at 
Paris, which he had fixed upon for the capital of his dominions. 

The Kings of the First or Merovingian race were never remarkable 
for family concord, and, while their empire was divided into depart- 
ments, they seem to have fallen into complete anarchy. Their wars 
were conducted with the utmost cruelty, and their social regulations 
were often violated. 

One of Clevis's grandsons, Theodibert, King of Metz, made an unsuc- 
cessful irruption into Italy, and was soon after slain at a hunting match 
by a wild bull. 
" He left a son, but Clotaire his uncle had the address to seduce the 
allegiance of the people from the young heir of Metz, and prevail on 
them to acknowledge him as nearer to the blood of the great Clovis; 
and in the end he succeeded in uniting under his own sway all the 
dominions of that great conqueror and legislator. After the death of 
Clotaire, the Frank empire was-again subdivided, and exposed to a suc- 
cession of wars, murders, and treacheries. About this time the Kings 
of the Merovingian race began to feel the effects of their crimes. 
These princes had neglected their duties to plunge themselves into 
sensual pleasures, and had used their regal power for the gratification 
of their own selfish Welshes, instead of applying it to the administration 
of justice. Consequently their minds became corrupted, they knew not 
how to govern, and the real exercise of authority devolved upon a min- 
ister named Maire du Palais, or high steward of the royal household. 

The Kings retiring into the interior of their palace, led a life so use- 
less that they were called Rois Faineans, or Idiot Princes, while their 
Maires du Palais assumed the command of the armies, administered 
justice, and made war and peace at pleasure, without even consulting 
the wish, or inclination of the nominal King. Pepin d'Heristhal, so 
called from a castle of that name on the Meuse, where he resided, \va.s 
one of the most distinguished of those ministers, whose increasing 

W[\o were the bondsmen of the Franks? When and where did Clovis die? 
What is said of the Merovingian kings ? Their wars ? Of Theodibert ? Of Clo- 
taire ? Wliat was the consequence of the vices of the Merovingian kings ? Who 
were the Maires du Palais? How did they manage? What is said of Pepin 
d"Heri.S(!ial ? 



CHARLES MARTEL BATTLE OP TOURS. 35 

power prepared the way for the final extinction of the race of Mero- 
vceus. Tlie unfortunate monarch was treated with such apparent 
respect as fully satisfied the people, who still venerated the blood of 
Clovis. When exhibited to the people, he was driven about the streets 
like a show, in a. large wagon drawn by oxen, surrounded by guards, 
who, under pretence of protecting his person, suffered no one to approach 
hiin. On public occasions he was environed by the great officers of 
state, and every thing like real business was settled by Pepin, who, to 
the title of Maire du Palais, added that of Duke, or leader of the 
Franks ; and under these titles disposed of the full power of the crown. 

Pepin d'Heristhal did not escape the dangers attendant on power. 
He was attacked and stabbed when at his devotions. He recovered 
however from the wound, and some time after, named his son Theobald 
for his successor, as Maire du Palais, though only six years old, and died 
(A. D. 714) shortly after. But this child, though the only legitimate 
son of Pepin, could not resist the influence of the illegitimate offspring 
of the same minister, the famous Charles Martel, called the hammerer, 
from the resistless weight of his blows in battle. After several victories, 
he compelled the king, Thierry of Chelles, a descendant of Clovis, to 
admit hun to the dignity of Maire du Palais. The Kingdom was fortu- 
nate in possessing his abilities at that time, for a crisis was approaching, 
threatening more imminent danger to France, than since the great in- 
road of Attila. 

A nation whose tongue they did not understand, and v/ho came with 
the Koran in one hand, and the sword in the other ; offering the choice 
of apostasy, or death: these were the Saracens, believers in Mahomet; 
they had burst forth from their deserts, to preach the Koran and lay 
waste the v^7orld. 

From Africa, they crossed into Spain (A. D. 713), and destroyed the 
Kingdom which the Goths had erected there : they then turned their 
arms against France. The dukedom of Aquitaine was first exposed to 
their inroads. It was governed by a prince named Eudo, who had 
opposed Charles Martel, but now implored his assistance against the 
common enemy. The Kingdom of the Franks still preserved extensive 
possessions on the east side of the Rhine, and the Maire du Palais levied 
in Germany a large body of troops, whose strength and fair complexion 
were likely to inspire terror in the swarthy and slender Arabs. Charles 
Martel, having communicated his plans to Eudo, prepared for the ap- 
proaching campaign with a degree of caution that seemed foreign to his 
character. He permitted the numerous bands of the invaders to enfeeble 
their force by dispersing themselves through the country in search of 
plunder, and kept his own army strongly concentrated. The Saracens 
and Christians at length encountered near the city of Tours (A. D. 732) ; 
the contest lasted several days, and seemed to be maintained v/ith an 
obstinacy worthy its importance. The Saracens obtained some advan- 
tage, but this was lost when they came to mingle in close combat, with 

How did he treat the king ? What befel Pepin ? When did he die? Who suc- 
ceeded him ? What was done by Charles Martel ? By Xhe Saracens? In Spain ? 
What country did they next invade ? Who united against them ? How did Martel 
conduct the war? VVlieie and when were the Saracens defeated ? 



36 THE CARLOVINGIAN KINGS. 

the powerful warriors of the North, Their battalions were already hard 
pressed, when cries were heard in the rear, and they discovered that 
their camp was attacked by Eudo, at the head of the people of Aquitaine. 
They then gave way and were defeated with immense slaughter. It is 
said that three hundred and seventy-five thousand Saracens were slain, 
and that only fifteen hundred Christians fell in the battle. This great 
victory decided the war. The Saracens lost the footing they had gained 
beyond the Pyrenees ; and Europe was saved from Mahometanisra. 

Charles Martel died in 741, and was succeeded in his title of duke 
and prince of France, and guardian of its long-haired kings, by his sons 
Carloman and Pepin: but Carloman retired from the world into an 
Italian convent. 

About A. D. 750, Pepin, who had hitherto governed in the name of 
Childeric, began to think of surmounting the obstacle betwixt him and 
the name of king. The important question whether the Faineant should 
continue to possess the royal title, rather than the active and effective 
minister, was referred to Pope Zacharias, then bishop of Rome. This 
pontiff" had received the most important services from Pepin, against the 
arms of the Lombards, a nation of barbarians who had usurped the com- 
mand of Italy ; he was therefore warmly disposed to favour him. 

He declared his opinion that in a contract like that betwixt the kings 
of France and their people, if the former should neglect the duties of a 
sovereign, they lost the right of exacting allegiance from their subjects. 

Pepin was prepared for this decision. He held an assembly of the 
Frank nobles and degraded Childeric III., the last of the race of Mero- 
VEeus. His long hair was shaved to prevent him from again ascending 
the throne ; and he was obliged to retire into a monastery. Thus ended 
the first or Merovingian race of the kings of France. 



CHAPTER V. 

PEPIN LE BREF AND CHARLEMAGNE (753). 

Pepin, called by historians le Bref or the Short, to distinguish him 
from his ancestor Pepin d'Heristhal, was elevated upon a buckler after 
the ancient custom of the Franks, and declared king of the nation. He 
became the founder of the Carlovingian or second race of French kings, 
who, like their predecessors, commenced their dynasty in glory, and 
degenerated, until they were superseded by another family. Pepin and 
his son Charles, who obtained the name of Charlemagne or Charles the 
Great (768), made great progress towards erecting a new Western em- 
pire ; the laws and instituttons of which were, in a great measure, 
founded on those of the Franks, and have since been called the feudal 



By whom ? How many Saracens were slain ? What was the consequence ? 
When did Charles Martel die ? Who succeeded him ? What did Pepin design ? 
Wlio assisted him I What was the result ? Who was made king ? What race of 
kings did he found ? What was done by him and Charlemagne ? 



37 




Battle of Tours. 
4 



CHARLEMAGNE. 39 

system. Both Pepin and Charlemagne engaged in repeated invasions 
of Italy, for the purpose of supporting the bishops of Rome against the 
Lombards, who were finally conquered and annihilated by Charlemagne. 
The Popes failed not to evince their gratitude to Charlemagne from 
whom they had experienced so many favours ; and in return the Bishop 
of Rome solemnly raised his benefactor, Charles, to the rank of Empe- 
ror. As king of the Franks, he succeeded to their dominions both in 
France and Italy ; for when under the long-haired kings, that people 
advanced their conquests in France, they still retained their original 
German possessions on the east of the Rhine, the land of their fathers, 
when they first formed their association of Franks or freemen. But 
Charlemagne greatly enlarged these German possessions by the conquest 
of Saxony. That province was inhabited by a fierce people, and it cost 
a war of thirty years and upwards ere they were conquered. In Ger- 
many, Charlemagne also defeated the remains of the Huns, or Tartars, 
and added to his empire Bohemia and Pannonia, so as to reach the fron- 
tiers of the eastern or Grecian Empire. 

In Spain, he gained considerable advantages over the Saracens, and 
extended his power from the Pyrenees to the banks of the Ebro, which 
river bounded his empire. In the battle of Roncesvalles however, 
Charlemagne suffered a terrible defeat, and lost a great part of his 
Paladins, a select band of renowned champions. The rear guard of 
the Franks was attacked by the natives of Gascony, whom the Moors 
had bribed to assist on the occasion, and very many were slain. The 
celebrated Orlando or Roland fell on this occasion. There can be no 
doubt that Charles, by his courage, constant activity and frequent suc- 
cesses, deserved the title of Great. 

He was a legislator as well as a conqueror ; he studied those arts by 
which society is cemented, and the rules of war, by which its bonds are 
burst asunder. He dreaded the introduction of luxury among his sub- 
jects: on one occasion observing that his nobility and vassals had in- 
dulged to extravagance in silk dresses, lined with fur, he invited them 
thus arrayed to a royal hunting party, though in the depth of winter, 
and the day rainy. He then, after they had been completely drenched 
in the forest, led them back to the royal hall, where the heat of the fire 
shrivelled up the wet furs. Charles, on this, gloried in his own plain 
sheep-skin cloak, which had neither suffered by the storm, nor by the 
heat, and told them to reserve silks and furs for days of ceremony ; and 
to use in war, and in the chase, the plain but serviceable dress of their 
ancestors. Charles was succeeded in 814, by Louis called the Debon- 
naire from his obliging and gentle character. That character was how- 
ever much too soft for the times in which he lived, and the instructions 
which his father had carefully given him proved inadequate to fortify 
his temper against the difficulties of his situation. 

Whom did Pepin and Charlemagne conquer ? Who was made emperor? What 
addition did he make to his territory ? In Germany ? In Spain ? Where was he 
defeated ? What account is given of the character and habits of Charlemagne ? 
Who succeeded him ? What was his character? 



40 CIVIL DISCORD — THE SCANDINAVIANS. 

CHAPTER VI. 
LOUIS I. THE DEBONNAIRE (814). 

The near relations of the new Emperor conspired against his crown 
and life, and he felt a degree of remorse at the necessity of punishing 
them, which increased their boldness and obliged him to submit to the 
most degrading insults. His empress Judith, of the liouse of Guelf, a 
second wife, obtained also a power over his mind and persuaded him to 
raise Charles, a son whom she bore to him, to a right of succession in 
the empire. This incensed the sons of his former marriage. Lothaire, 
Pepin, and Louis engaged in rebellion against the good-natured king. 
He even became prisoner (A, D. 835) to his insurgent sons, and was 
solemnly degraded from his royal dignity. He was afterwards recalled 
to the throne, but only to be disturbed by the intrigues of his young 
wife and the pretensions of his adult sons. Louis the Debonnaire died 
(A. D. 840) broken-hearted, but left no part of his dominions to his son 
Louis, whom he considered as especially undutiful. Immediately upon 
his death a war ensued among his children ; and in a dreadful battle 
near Fontenoy, upwards of one hundred thousand men of the Frank 
nation fell in defence of the pretensions of the various claimants. It 
was not till five years afterwards that this fraternal discord was termi- 
nated by a treaty, by which the dominions of Charlemagne were divid- 
ed into three parts, and shared among the three brothers. The eldest 
Lothaire kept the title of emperor; he retained all Italy, with the city 
of Rome, and the country lying betwixt the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Soane, 
Mouse, and Scheldt, which was from him called Lotharingia : the word 
has b^en corrupted to Lorraine which forms a part of what were 
Lothaire's dominions. Louis, the second brother, enjoyed all the do- 
minions of Germany beyond the Rhine, and was thence called Louis 
the German. Charles, whose pretensions had during his father's life- 
time given so much occasion for disturbance, was declared king of the 
third portion. 

The Saracens, no longer restrained by such generals as Pepin, 
Charles Martel, or Charlemagne, again attacked Gaul by land, and Italy 
by sea, and left no rest to the afflicted provinces of Charlemagne's em- 
pire. A still more formidable people had taken up arms for the purpose 
of harassing the coasts of Europe and acquiring settlements by force. 
These were the inhabitants of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, called 
by the ancients Scandinavia. Their fleets were extremely numerous 
and commanded by able and enterprising men. They ravaged all the 
coasts of Britain, France, and Spain, and sometimes even entered the 
Mediterranean. 

Though of various nations, yet being all of northern extraction, these 

What, were his firet acts ? What family disturbances had he ? When did he 
die ? What followed ? How was the kingdom divided ? What is said of the 
Saracens ? The Scandinavians ? 



THE NORMANS BESIEGE PARIS. 41 

pirates were known to the inhabitants of the south under the name of 
Northmen, or Normans, and they became so formidable, that public 
prayens were put up to heaven for delivery from these visitations. The 
people often endeavoured to pacify them by humble submission, the 
kings bribed them by money. But though one squadron might be thus 
'f induced to relinquish their purpose for a season, the next summer was 
sure to bring fresh swarms upon the coasts of southern Europe. 

While the coasts of France were thus exposed, its interior suffered 
the evils which attend on the inability and disunion of princes. The 
epithets bestowed on the line of Charlemagne are taken from personal 
imperfections; and they were nick-named, the Bald, the Simple, the 
Stammerer, and the Gross. In the year 885, the disasters of France 
caused by the misconduct of its princes and the assaults of foreign ene- 
mies, seemed to threaten its national existence. Charles the Gross, 
or fat, had, after the death of most of the direct descendants of Charle- 
magne, obtained the title of emperor, with which he united for a time 
that of king of France. This prince had consented to the settlement 
of a body ..of Normans in his province of Friezeland, hoping by their 
presence and co-operation to protect the coast of the Netherlands, against 
visitations from their countrymen. Finding how^ever they continued 
their incursions, and that Godfrey the king of these settlers intrigued 
against him with Hugo, a bastard nephew, he resolved, by a daring 
crime, to repair the consequences of a political error. 

Henry duke of Saxony, one of the Emperor's officers, prevailed upon 
Godfrey, by the orders of his master, to have an interview with him. 
To this interview duke Henry brought one count Berard, whom God- 
frey had driven from his estate. The consequence was that Berard 
upbraided the Norman prince, and in the altercation killed him with his 
battle-axe. The Normans also who accompanied their leader shared 
his fate. The emperor having obtained possession of his nephew Hugo's 
person caused his eyes to be put out, and shut him up in the great con- 
vent of St. Gall in Switzerland. The Normans, incensed at such 
treachery, assembled a fleet of seven hundred sail, small vessels cer- 
tainly, since they came up the Seine, to attack the city of Paris, the 
capital of France (since the time of Clovis). 

When assaulted by the Normans (885), the town occupied only what 
is still called the isle of the City, which was surrounded by the Seine 
and accessible by two bridges, the approaches to which were strongly 
fortified with towers. The Normans who had expected to carry the 
place by surprise were disappointed ; but although not accustomed to 
regular sieges, they disembarked their numerous bands, and pressed the 
city with a blockade, and also by repeated assaults. Much courage 
was shown in the attack and defence, and all the weapons of war then 
known were employed. The bridges were defended by Eudes, an offi- 
cer of courage and talent. The Normans erected three movable tow- 
ers, each capable of sheltering sixty men, and mounted upon wheels, 
by which they attacked the defences of the bridges. But these towers 

What w^ere they called ? How did they annoy the Franks ? What is said of 
Charles the Gross ? How did he offend the Normans? What was the conse- 
quence ? Describe the situation and siege of Paris ? Who defended the bridges ? 

4* 



42 THE NORMANS BRIBED TO RETIRE. 

were dashed to pieces by the stones hurled upon them, or consumed by 
combustibles discharged from engines. Battering-rams were also used 
by the North-men, but with little success. 

The historians of Paris still commemorate the courage of twelve 
warriors, who defended to the last the tower of the little Chatelet, and 
were all killed. The loss of men and scarcity of provisions began to 
be distressing to the besieged. Sigefroy, the king of the Normans, 
having under him thirty thousand men of that warlike nation, did not 
confine his operations to the siege, but spread his forces through France, 
laying waste the country and collecting supplies for his army. The 
Parisians dispatched Eudes, who had the command of the place, to the 
emperor Charles the Gross, with an account of their desperate situation, 
and supplications for relief 

Charles sent Henr}^, duke of Saxony, to try if he could extinguish 
the flame, which his treachery had kindled. The Duke led but few 
troops, and could only throw himself into the city with provisions and 
reinforcements. Shortly after in an attempt to reconnoitre the lines of 
the besiegers, he fell into a ditch covered with straw laid upon slight 
hurdles, and was slain. 

Paris was now more exposed than ever ; for the troops of Henry of 
Saxony disbanded after his death, Eudes did all that man could to ani- 
mate the spirit of resistance. Another great danger now threatened the 
Parisians : it was the heat of summer, and the Seine became so low as 
to be fordable. Suddenly, at the hour of dinner, the Normans plunged 
into the river, and gaining the opposite bank, began to ascend the wall 
by ladders. A few gallant French champions rushed to arms, and made 
good the defence till more came up and drove back the besiegers. The 
day after this attack the banners of France were seen on the hill called 
Montmartre, and the approach of the army of the emperor spread joy 
and hope among the citizens, and obliged the Normans to retire within 
their ow^n lines. 

Sigefroy was like a lion at bay, and Charles the Gross was convinced 
that the Normans would abide the event of battle, or recommence the 
siege of Paris, if he awaited. He resolved therefore to end the war by 
treaty, rather than risk the event of a battle, and basely agreed to pur- 
chase the retreat of the Normans for the sum of seven hundred pounds 
of silver, and consented that they should take up their winter quarters 
in Burgundy. For this purpose they desired to ascend the Seine, but 
the Parisians refused to permit them to approach so near their ramparts, 
tliat a breach of faith might have endangered their city. Sigefroy and 
his Normans therefore drew their light galleys over land, and launched 
them again in the river Seine, at a certain distance above Paris. The 
French were mortified and incensed at the dishonourable treaty by 
which Charles bought, what he might have gained by the sword'; he 
became an object of contempt, and sunk into a kind of idiotcy. Arnold, 
one of his nephews, was chosen in his place, and Charles, despised and 
wretched, did not long survive his merited humiliation. 

Who was sent against Sigefroy? What was his fate? Wlio came to relieve 
Paris ? llow did he do it ? What was the consequence of this dishonourable con- 
duct of Charles ? 



^ COMMENCEMENT OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM. 43 

CHAPTER VII. 
EUDES AND CHARLES THE SIMPLE (888). 

We have seen that Arnold, a descendant of Charlemagne, was chosen 
emperor on the deposition of Charles the Gross. In that part of the 
dominions, however, which retained the name of France, the inhabitants 
appear to have determined to seek for the virtues and talents of Char- 
lemagne, elsewhere than in his line. Eudes, the valiant Count of Paris, 
so distinguished for his defence of that town, was elevated to the throne 
by the voice of the people. He showed himself worthy of their good 
opinion ; for, when proposed as a candidate for the crown of France, he 
declared he would resign his pretension rather than cause a civil war. 
The emperor,, struck with his generosity, at once acknowledged his 
title, and he entered accordingly upon the government of France. But 
his reign was not glorious ; he died (A. D. 898) regretted by the peo- 
ple, but hated by the nobles, whose power he had abridged. 

Eudes left a son named Arnold, but he did not succeed to the crown 
of his father, it being occupied by Charles, a prince of the Carlovingian 
race ; but he was so indolent that he acquired the epithet of simple. 
Under the reign of so weak a prince, the disorders of the state became 
general. Charlemagne had held his sceptre with a firm hand : govern- 
ments, offices, and even lands, were only granted for life ; at the death- 
of the person they passed again to the crown. But, under a weak 
monarch, the possessors of offices or lands endeavoured^ to perpetuate 
their authority and their property in their families. Thus the nobles 
of the first rank, who now took the title indifferently of Duke, Marquis, 
Count, or the like, were no longer the mere delegates of the sovereign, 
who had conferred the gift upon their predecessors ; but formed an order 
of petty kings, administering justice, coining money, making ordinances, 
and acting as independent princes, each in his own province. The sys- 
tem descended so low that even private gentlemen had their domestic 
establishments upon a scale resembling that of the sovereign himself; 
and each was a prince when seated in his own tower, and surrounded 
by his dependants. This system of feudal dependence began to assume 
the form of fixed and assured law : it produced an influence upon go- 
vernment and manners, which was on some accounts extremely advan- 
tageous, and on others very much the reverse. Each vassal paid to his 
superior that service and homage which his fief required ; but that being 
once discharged, his obligation was ended : he was as free a man as his 
superior himself. 

You will recollect that these people were descendants of the Franks, 
Burgundians, and other tribes who had conquered Rome and seized upon 
two-thirds of the land, vv^hich they apportioned among themselves, 
assuming the title of Leodes ; signifying freemen. The Roman colo- 

Who was substituted in place of Arnold ? What is said of Eudes and his reign? 
Of Charles the Simple ? Of the nobles ? Of the feudal system ? Of the Leodesi 



44 INVASIONS OF THE NORTHMEN. 

nists, on the other hand, whom the barbarians had subdued, were per- 
mitted to cultivate the remaining third, which was left by the conquerors 
for their subsistence. It was by their hands that almost all the agricul- 
ture of the country was carried on, which necessary though irksome 
task, the Leodes left to the charge of the serfs, or bondsmen ; for to that 
station were the unhappy Romans reduced, and by that epithet were 
they known. The freeman hunted, fished, or went to war, at the call 
of his superior, or by his own inclination ; but he paid no tax, and put 
his hand to no labour. The pasturages were stocked with cattle, often 
the spoils of war, which were kept either by serfs or domestic slaves ; 
for Tjoth kinds of servitude were known to the French, and the laws of 
war placed the captive at the pleasure of the conqueror, unless he was 
able to purchase his freedom by a ransom. 

The men who thus enjoyed independence, and escaped every species 
of toil except that of warfare, were a bold and high-spirited race. They 
were ready warriors, and true to their word, and so far the character 
of the French nation was highly improved by the introduction of the 
feudal system. In other respects the independence of the crown vas- 
sals on the king, and that of the barons of the second order upon the 
crown vassals, formed but a feeble system of government. The whole 
kingdom, instead of having one interest and one government, seemed 
divided among the great vassals of the crown, none of whom was dis- 
posed to admit the king to exercise more power over him, than was 
strictly conformable to the rules of the feudal tenure. These great 
feudatories considered the diminution of the king's influence as the 
mode of increasing their own ; the same principle of disunion was un- 
dermining theirs; and their vassals and dependants were frequently 
disposed to refuse that service to them which they hesitated to grant to 
the crown. 

To these internal disorders were added the repeated invasions of the 
Northmen ; a large army and fleet of them appeared at the mouth of 
the Seine, commanded by Hrolle or Rollo, a warlike prince, son of the 
king of Denmark. One large body of his forces sailed up the river 
Loire, and destroyed the cathedral of St. Martin of Tours. Another, 
commanded by Rollo in person, ascended the Seine, took the city of 
Rouen, and fixed their head-quarters there. Charles the Simple was 
desirous of putting a stop to this peril, by composition rather than by 
battle. He made a truce with the Norman prince ; but by the advice 
of Richard Duke of Burgundy he broke it, and engaged again in hos- 
tilities. Rollo was defeated near Chartres ; and after the battle the 
victors surrounded a hill to which he had retreated witii the remainder 
of his army. But at the dead of night, the Norman prince cut \ns way 
through them, and his army being greatly reinforced soon took the of- 
fensive. 

Charles was now obliged to resume his negotiations : he suggested 
to Rollo, that if he would embrace the Christian religion and become a 
loyal vassal, he was willing to confer upon him the fertile province 
hitherto called Neustria, as the dowry of his daughter Gisele who was 

Of the serfs ? What were the good effects of the feudal system ? The bad 
cflects ? Who invaded France ? What passed between him and Charles ? 



45 




Battle of Chartres. 



EOLLO— RODOLPH. 47 

to become the wife of Rollo, although she was only ten or twelve years 
old, and he fifty. Rollo accepted these fevourable terms, adopted the 
Christian faith, and exchanged his name for that of Robert. Bat when 
the new duke was to receive the investiture of Normandy, Charles re- 
quired him to kneel to his liege lord and kiss his foot. " My knee shall 
never bend to mortal," said the haughty Norman. It was then suggest- 
ed that this difficulty might be surmounted by appointing a deputy to 
kiss, in his name, the foot of Charles, Accordingly the duke command- 
ed a common soldier to perform the ceremony in his stead, and he did 
it so rudely that it is said he overturned the king. 

Rollo entered upon his new dominions, and governed them with the 
strictest justice ; he was so severe in the execution of robbers, that at 
length, it is said, rings of gold were exposed publicly without incurring 
the least risk. The Norman followers of Rollo were also converted to 
the Christian creed, without losing any part of their dauntless courage 
and contempt of death. The state of Normandy thus established was 
destined a century afterwards to give a dynasty of kings to England. 

The unfortunate Charles the Simple was so indolent that he abandon- 
ed his affairs to the hands of a gentleman named Haganon, of low birth 
and moderate talents. This was the source of various rebellions. 
Charles showed himself to advantage in repressing them ; but in coun- 
cil he was as rash and impolitic as ever. His reign was disturbed, not 
only by the invasion of bands of Normans, but by that of Hungarians, 
or Bulgarians, a people descended from the ancient Huns. Amidst 
these disasters he entrusted himself to the power of Hebert count of 
Vermandois, one of his overgrown vassals, who, after, a shov/ of great 
respect, seized upon his person and imprisoned him in the castle of 
Peronne, where he is supposed to have been murdered. 

Rodolph succeeded Charles, who, as regards the line of Charlemagne, 
may be termed a usurper, for he was not descended from that emperor. 
He filled the throne during fourteen years of perpetual war and tumult 
(A. D. 936), which his talents though considerable were unequal to 
subdue effectually. Charles the Simple had left a child named Louis, 
who, upon his father's death, had been transported to England, by his 
mother an Englishwoman. He received encouragement to return and 
assume the throne of France, and became distinguished by the title of 
Louis d'Outre-mer, or from beyond sea. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

LOUIS IV. D'OUTREMER, AND LOTHAIRE II. (936). 

Like his predecessors, he was involved in the quarrels and intrigues 
of the dukes and counts whom he could only rule by the policy of stir- 



How was the treaty arranged ? How consummated ? How did Rollo govern 
Normandy ? Who was Charles's first favourite ? Who invaded France ? What 
was done by Hebert ? Who succeeded Charles ? What followed ? 



48 LOUIS IV. WAR WITH GERMANY. 

ring up one against the other. Louis was called from the scene of dis- 
sension by death (A. D. 954), occasioned by his horse falling while at 
full speed in pursuit of a wolf. 

It was now supposed that the crown would be seized on by Hugo, the 
duke of France, called the Great, who had been one of the potent vas- 
sals and opponents of Louis d'Outremer. This Hugo was grandson of 
Robert the first and son of Robert IL He had various disputes with 
Louis the Ultramarine, and it was expected that at his death the duke 
would have seized on the crown ; but though he never assumed royalty 
himself, he was destined to be the father of the powerful family of 
Bourbon, so distinguished in past ages for their power, and in our own 
for their misfortunes. The duke Hugo took up the cause of Lothaire 
the son of Louis, a boy of about fourteen years old, and conducted him 
to Rheims, where he directed the ceremony of his coronation, and 
afterwards deported himself in every respect as a dutiful subject. He 
defeated the count of Poitiers in a decisive battle, and gave a sharp les- 
son of submission to the great vassals who might be disposed to rebel 
against the king. In the subsequent year he died, leaving behind him 
four sons. The eldest, Hugo, was distinguished from his father by the 
surname of Capet (or Caput) ; but whether from the unusual size of his 
head, or from the extent of the powers of his understanding, is some- 
what uncertain. The brothers of Hugo Capet, were Otho, Eudes and 
Henry, who were successively dukes of Burgundy. For Hugo himself, 
fate reserved a fairer diadem. Lothaire received the sons into favour, 
and acknowledged them as successors in the fiefs of the great Hugo 
Capet. Btit he embroiled himself in a quarrel with duke Richard of 
Normandy, and endeavoured to overreach him by inviting him to an 
interview. Duke Richard set out on his journey to the place appointed. 
He was met by two knights, who pitying his unsuspicious loyalty, gave 
him indirect notice of the design against his person. Duke Richard 
rewarded the knights, bestowing on one a gold chain which he wore, 
and on the other his sword. He instantly returned to Rouen and took 
up arms against the treacherous king, and soon brought Lothaire to 
request a peace, v/hich was made accordingly. 

Another war broke out between Lothaire, King of France, and Otho, 
Emperor of Germany. Lothaire marched with such rapidity upon Aix- 
la-Chapelle (A. D. 978) that he had nearly made the emperor prisoner, 
who fled, leaving his dinner on the table. Otho, to revenge this insult, 
invaded France with sixty thousand men, and advanced to the gates of 
Paris, sending word to Hugh Capet, count of the City, that he would 
cause a mass to be sung on Montmartre by so many voices that the count 
should hear the sound in the isle of Paris. The king of France and 
Hugo Capet revenged this insult by a rapid movement to the relief of 
Paris, and defeated the Germans with very great slaughter. But 
Lothaire lost the fruit of this victory by acceding to a peace which dis- 

Who next became king? When did he die ? Who founded tlie Bourbon family ? 
Whom did Hugo cause to be crowned ? Whom <^ d he defeat? When did he die ? 
Who was Hugo Capet? How did Lolhaire trout Richard Duke of Nprmandy ? 
How did Richard escape from hia treachery ? \Vho made war with Lothaire ? De- 
scribe the war. Its rcauU ? 



THE CAPETS. 49 

appointed the hopes of his subjects, and especially of the army elated 
by victory. He endeavoured to strengthen himself in the love and 
affection of his subjects, by raising to be the partner of his throne his 
son Louis, known by the name of the Faineant, or Foolish. But Lothaire 
died at Rheims (A. D. 987) immediately afterwards, and not without 
suspicion of poison. Louis the Faineant well merited his name. He 
quarrelled with the Queen, and well-nigh engaged in a new quarrel 
with Germany, and before he had reigned fourteen months, he died under 
suspicion of poison. This weak and unhappy prince was the last of the 
Carlovingian race, which had occupied the throne of France for upwards 
of two hundred and thirty years. 



CHAPTER IX. 
THE CAPETS. 

HUGH CAPET (987). 

You must remember that since the institution of the monarchy of 
France two races of kings had existed. The long-haired monarchs, or 
kings of the Merovingian race, were the first dynasty. The Carlovin- 
gian race, deriving their title from Charles the Great, constituted the 
second. The third change of dynasty, which took place at the death 
of Louis le Faineant, may be attributed to the following causes. 

L Under neither of these dynasties was the right of hereditary suc- 
cession well defined or understood. The brother, instead of the son, 
often succeeded to a deceased monarch ; the consequence was, that the 
eyes of many princes were fixed on the same tempting object, occasion- 
ing great disputes, which led to the repeated division and subdivision of 
the royal dominions, weakening the body of the empire, and often ter- 
minating in civil wars. 

n. The empire of Charlemagne extended from the Tiber to the Elbe, 
and from the Pyrenean mountains to the borders of Hungary, consisting 
of many nations, differing in laws, language, and manners, whom 
chance and the abilities of one individual had united for a time under 
one government ; but which had a propensity to separate so soon as the 
great mind which held them together should be removed. Hence it 
was not long before the kingdom of France was separated from that of 
Italy, and from the empire of Germany. 

III. The grants which were made to the great officers of state impo- 
verished the monarchs of France ; so that during the reign of the two 
or three last of the Carlovingian line, almost every considerable city 

Who succeeded Lothaire? Of what race was he the last? What were the first 
two French dynasties called ? The third ? What is said of the succession under 
these dynasties ? What was tite extent of Charlemagne's empire ? How waa it 
divided? 



50 HUGO CAPET. 

was in possession of some duke, count, or baron, who collected revenue 
from it, excepting only Laon and Rheims. 

Hugo Capet had long been esteemed the first man in the kingdom in 
point of wealth, the second probably in point of rank, and the first in 
actual power. He was duke of Burgundy and Aquitaine, and count of 
Paris and Orleans. 

He availed himself so well of these advantages, that on the death of 
Louis le Faineant (A. D. 987) he assembled the states of the kingdom, 
and by unanimous consent was chosen king of France. With a view to 
secure the crown in his own family, Hugo Capet proposed to associate 
his son Robert in the same dignity, and obtained the assent of the States 
to that association ; he lived simply and modestly as before his accession 
to the throne, Charles of Lorraine, the Carlovingian heir to the crown, 
attempted to vindicate the succession, but was made prisoner by the 
elected monarch, and being thrown into prison at Orleans, was detained 
there till his death. The son of Charles succeeded him in the Duchy 
of Lorraine, but died without issue ; and thus the legitimate succession 
of the renowned Charlemagne became extinct (A. D. 991). The head 
of the new race of kings behaved with a wisdom and steadiness which 
tended to secure the succession of his family ; he bent his mind to soothe 
all discontents, and to please every class of his subjects. He saw the 
danger arising from the independent state of the turbulent nobility, but 
he saw also that the evil was too great to be immediately remedied. 
He determined, therefore, to await silently the time when, by degrees, 
the power of the crown should rise upon their ruins. By his wisdom 
and firmness this king established his family with little opposition, and 
almost without bloodshed, on a throne to which he had no hereditary 
right. He died (A. D. 996), leaving his dominions in perfect tranquil- 
lity, after a reign of eight years. 



CHAPTER X. 
ROBERT I. (996), 



Robert, son of Hugo Capet, long associated with his father, was now 
sole king. He followed the sagacious and prudent measures of his pre- 
decessor, and thereby acquired the distinction of the Wise. For securing 
the succession, he caused his son Hugh to join in the government ; but 
he dying without issue, Robert's second son Henry was crowned in the 
same manner ten years after. By this the chance of an alteration in 
the succession was much diminished ; since the successor was in posses- 
sion of the regal power before the death of his predecessor. 

Robert acquired such reputation for wisdom and justice, that the era- 

In whose possession were the cities of France ? What were Hugo Capet's titles ? 
How did he become king ? What is said of Robert ? Of Charles of Lorraine ? 
Of his son ? Of Hugo ? His character ? When did he die ? Who succeeded 
him ? What was he called ? What is said of Hugh ? Of Henry ? 



WILLIAM THE CONaUEROR. 51 

peror of Germany having some dispute with the count of Flanders, both 
parties agreed to refer to the decision of the king of France. King 
Robert's domestic government w^as of the same moderate and judicious 
character, w^hich distinguished his foreign politics. He used his royal 
power for the benefit of his subjects. His private charity was so exten- 
sive, that upwards of a thousand poor persons dined at his expense every 
day, and were even permitted to approach his person. He died, uni- 
versally regretted, in 1031. 

Upon the death of Robert I., the succession of Henry, his eldest son, 
was disputed by his younger brother Robert He was encouraged by 
his mother, who had always hated Henry. Robert took his measures 
so suddenly, and was so well supported, that Henry, with a retinue of 
only ten or eleven persons, saved himself from captivity by flying to the 
country of Robert, duke of Normandy. He was received in the strong 
castle of Fescamp, and the duke raised all his forces in defence of his 
liege lord, against the traitorous attempts of his younger brother. He 
entered France with his forces, and ravaged the country with such se- 
verity, that he obtained the nickname of Robert le Diable, which gave 
rise to several fabulous stories. 

The two armies were on the point of engaging in a decisive conflict, 
when Robert thought it better to submit to his elder brother. He did 
so, and was rewarded with the duchy of Burgundy ; after which the 
brothers lived in harmony together. Henry I. did not lose any opportu- 
nity of strengthening his throne ; disturbances arose in different parts, 
and many forfeitures of fiefs were made to the crown. Neither did 
Henry I. neglect to avail himself of the troubles which arose in Nor- 
mandy, although he owed a great debt of gratitude to the duke, whose 
timely aid had, as we have seen, replaced him on the throne. Robert 
of Normandy, advancing now in age, began to think of making amends 
for those violent actions which had, in war, procured him the title of 
Robert le Diable. For this purpose he resolved to go on a pilgrimage 
to the Holy Land, as was the custom of that superstitious period. 

-Previous to his departure he assembled a council of his prelates and 
high vassals, and presented to the assembly a son of his own, not born 
in lawful wedlock, but the child of a woman named Arlotta. This was 
the famous William, afterwards Conqueror of England. 

This youth was of so fair a person, and such promising talents, that 
his father, notwithstanding his illegitimacy, desired he should succeed 
him as his heir in the dukedom. He prevailed on the states of Nor- 
mandy to recognize him ; he recommended him to the protection of 
Henry of France, and Alan duke of Bretagne ; and then set off" on his 
pilgrimage, from which he never returned. 

William was thus early exposed to misfortunes and dangers, which 
undoubtedly contributed to exercise and mature those qualities which 
form the character of a great man. His feudal vassals took advantage 
of the minority of the sovereign, to raise troops, fortify castles, and levy 

Of Robert? His government? His' charity? When did he die? What fol- 
lowed ? How did the civil war terminate ? Why did Robert go to the Holy 
Land ? Who was his son? To what did his father recommend him? What was 
done b)' hl'3 vassals ? 



52 WILLIAM PREPARES TO INVADE ENGLAND. 

wars at their.own pleasure. King Henry availed himself of these trou- 
bles, invaded the Norman frontiers, burnt the town of Argenton, and 
demolished the castle of Thilleres, under pretext that it should not have 
been fortified without his consent. William, beset with dangers on 
every side, thought it best to accommodate these quarrels with the kmg 
of France, even by some sacrifices, and thus for a time secured the 
alliance and countenance of Henry I. 

When the duke of Normandy had extricated himself from these 
struggles, he became the object of the jealousy and displeasure of the 
French king, who then publicly espoused the cause of William of 
Arques, count of Toulouse, who laid claim to the duchy of Normandy, 
as son of duke Richard 11. , and therefore right heir to the crown on 
account of William's illegitimacy, Henry entered Normandy with a 
strong army against the young duke, but William was now of an age to 
display his wisdom and courage. By a rapid and sudden attack near 
Mortemart, (A. D. 1054,) he beat the French army with the loss of ten 
thousand men. 

This and other reverses induced Henry to consent to a peace. After 
his pacification with the duke of Normandy, Henry turned himself to 
the favourite policy of the House of Capet, the association of a successor 
on the throne, in order to secure stability in the royal succession. Philip, 
the eldest of Henry's sons, was raised, at the early age of seven years, 
to share the throne of his father, who died in the same year, (A. D. 
1060,) leaving his son under the guardianship of Baldwin of Flanders, 
called, from his worth and religion, the Pious. It was in the early part 
of this reign that William duke of Normandy made his successful de- 
scent on England, which he conquered, and established his family on 
the throne. 



CHAPTER XI. 
PHILIP I.— CONQUEST OF ENGLAND (1060). 

William of Normandy, though an illegitimate son, had succeeded, as 
we have seen, to the dukedom of Normandy as the inheritance of his 
father ; and had been engaged during his youth in so many disputes and 
wars, both against his own insurgent nobility, and the king of France, 
that his understanding was matured and his authority confirmed, so as 
to give him confidence to embark in the daring' expedition against Eng- 
land. For this purpose, he availed himself of his relation to Baldwin, 
called the Pious, count of Flanders, whose daughter he had married. 
Baldwin was regent of France during the minority of Philip the First, 
and, through him, the duke of Normandy was permitted to publisii pro- 
posals to all brave warriors who wished to gain iionour or wealth, to join 
him in his enterprise. A vast number from different parts of the king- 
By William? By William of Arques? By William of Normandy ? When did 
Henry die ? Who was Philip s guardian ? What is said of William of Normandy ? 



CONQUEST OF ENGLAND. 53 

dom hastened to join an expedition seductive to the imaginations of tlie 
age. The army which the duke assembled for his daring- enterprise 
amounted to fifty thousand horse, and ten thousand infantry. These 
were all chosen men.— To transport them, William constructed or as- 
sembled a fleet of three thousand vessels ; and to sanctify his undertaking, 
he obtained the benediction of the Pope. While this cloud was gather- 
ing on the coast of Normandy, the attention of Harold of England was 
withdrawn from it, by a danger yet more imminent. His brother Fosti, 
after an attempt at insurrection which had been easily subdued, had 
fled to Harold Hardrada, king of Norway, who, with a large army and 
the followers of the insurgent Fosti, sailed up the Humber and obtained 
possession of York. Harold instantly marched against them. When 
he arrived in face of the invaders, he endeavoured to arrange the dis- 
pute by offering terms to his brother Fosti. " But if I accept these con- 
ditions," said Fosti, " what shall be the compensation of the king of 
Norway, my ally ]" " Seven feet of English land," answered the envoy ; 
" or, as Hardrada is a giant, perhaps a little more." The English and 
Norwegians thus broke off" their conference, and a dreadful battle ensued 
at Stamford near York (A. D. 1066) ; the armies fought with incredible 
valour, and there was much slaughter on both sides; but Harold of Nor- 
way, lost his life, while Harold of England, though enfeebled by the 
loss of many of his best troops, remained victorious. But he was 
instantly called upon to meet more formidable adversaries, in William 
and his army, who had arrived at Pevensey. Unhappily for Harold, too 
little respite was allowed him to recruit his forces after so bloody an 
action. Three days only intervened between the defeat of the Norwe- 
gian and the arrival of William on the English coast. 

The duke of Normandy was speedily apprised that Harold was ap- 
proaching at the head of an army flushed with victory, - Both princes 
met on the fatal and memorable field of Hastings. The battle was san- 
guinary, but Harold being mortally v/ounded by an arrow, the Saxons 
gave way. The death of Harold terminated a conflict, one of the most 
obstinate as well as the most important in the annals of England. Thus 
the immediate success of William's expedition was insured; for by sub- 
mission or force, the conqueror annexed to his dominions the whole king- 
dom of England ; and though vexed by frequent rebellions among his 
new subjects, and even among the Normans themselves, disappointed 
with the share of spoil assigned to them, he held with a firm grasp, tlie" 
advantages which he had gained by his wisdom and courage. 

The system of feudal law was introduced into England by tlie con- 
quest, and the Norman knights and nobles received grants of the richest 
manors and baronies of the crown, to be held of the king by military 
service. Laws peculiarly vexatious to the lower orders of English Vv^ere 
introduced, instead of the mild government exercised by the native 
Saxon monarchs. The harassed natives were easily driven into rebel- 
lion, which answered so far the purpose of the conqueror, as it gave him 

What was tbe number of his army ? His fleet ? Whom did he defeat before 
William's arrival? When? Where did Harold and Wilham meet? Wlien? 
Which fell? What was the consequenee? What system did William introduce 
into EnG;land ? What made the natives rebel ? 

5 * 



54 DEATH or THE CONaUEROR. 

a pretext for new confiscations by which he enriched his followers. In 
a word, the whole kingdom was divided between the Normans, who were 
the lords and gentry, and the Saxons, who, with a few exceptions, be- 
came the cultivators of the soil. Philip I. of France was not a little 
mortified to find that by this fortunate attempt against England, his vas- 
sal the duke of Normandy had become king of a realm as important as 
his own, and which was governed by the conqueror with more absolute 
sway than France itself by the descendant of Capet. Philip was deter- 
mined therefore to shake this new empire. He not only entered into a 
war with the new king of England, but intrigued with his eldest son 
Robert, whom he encouraged to rebel against his father William. The 
pretext for the French hostilities and the unnatural conduct of the son, 
was, that when William undertook his English conquest, he engaged, 
in case of his being successful, to resign to his son his Norman dominions. 
It is probable that if such a promise was made, it was given only to 
allay the fears of the French court, that William by succeeding in his 
expedition would become too powerful a vassal ; but it had become im- 
possible for him to yield up Normandy, without incurring the risk of 
losing England also, since it was only in his power to defeat the insur- 
rections of the English by the aid of the soldiery which he drew from 
his native dominions. 

Under the pretence that William had failed in his promise, his son 
Robert, a rash young man, rebelled against his father, and held out 
against him, in the small fortified place of Gerberoi, a station very con- 
venient for the annoyance of Normandy, and where Philip placed his 
young ally for that very purpose. 

William, incensed at the rebellious conduct of his son, hastened to 
lay siege to the place of his retreat. The garrison made a sortie, headed 
by prince Robert in person. This leader, one of the bravest men of his 
time, singled out for his antagonist, a knight who appeared in front of 
the besiegers in armour, and having his face covered by the vizor of his 
helmet. The onset of the young and fiery prince bore down his an- 
tagonist, horse and man ; and Robert placing his lance to the throat of 
the dismounted cavalier, would have taken his life, had he not recog- 
nised, by the accents in which the answer was returned, that it was his 
own father. , . 

Shocked at this discovery, he, flung himsejf from his own horse, and 
assisting his father to rise, held the stirrup to him till he mounted in his 
stead. 

But notwithstanding an incident so affecting, a reconciliation between 
the father and son was not perfected. Robert still expected that his 
father would resign to him some part of the Norman territories ; but he 
continued to expect in vain. The conqueror answered that he was not 
willing to throw off his clothes before he went to bed, or part with his 
dominions before his death. — An open war which ensued with France 
cost William his life. He caught a fever by directing in person the 
conflagration of the town of Mantes (A. D. 1087). He, did all in his 

What was the consequence? ^Vhat was done by Philip? Who joined him? 
Where was he statioied ? What passed between the father and son ? When did 
WiHiamdie? 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 65 

power to punish his son Robert for his undutiful conduct, by bequeathing 
the crown of England to his second son William, called Rufus or the 
Red. But although incensed against his eldest son, the Conqueror left 
him the duchy of Normandy, chiefly, it is supposed, because he doubted 
whether the people would submit to any other prince than Robert whom 
they loved. During these transactions Philip I. of France was engaged 
in petty wars, by means of which, while affecting to mediate between 
his dissatisfied peers, he contrived to weaken the contending parties, 
and to strengthen the crown at their expense. 

At length, the king saw fit in some degree to appease these disturb- 
ances, by associating in the office and authority of monarch of France, 
Louis, his son by his queen, and by his activity and judicious exertions 
tranquillity was in some measure restored. This active prince repaired 
the neglect of his father, and marched with rapidity against the vassals 
of the crown, who were perpetually in insurrection, and thus gradually 
acquired general respect and popularity. Bertrade, the king's mistress, 
was the only person to whom the young prince's conduct was unaccept- 
able. She exerted her influence over her royal lover, against his son, 
on whose exertions, rather than his own, the safe government of the 
kingdom depended. When Louis learned his father's prejudice against 
him, he withdrew for a while to the court of England, and Philip was 
induced to write a letter to the king of that country, instigating him to 
murder or imprison the young prince. The advice was rejected with 
disdain by the king of England, who dismissed his guest safe and 
honourably. The dangers of Louis increased on his return to France, 
for poison w^as administered to him by his father's concubine, which had 
so much effect on his constitution that though he recovered his health, 
his complexion remained ever afterwards a deadly pale. This new 
injury well-nigh provoked Louis to break entirely with his father, but 
Philip aware of the danger caused his mistress, Bertrade, to make the 
most humble submissions to the prince. Philip died (A. D. 1108) at 
the age of sixty, leaving his son Louis, with diminished resources, to 
struggle against the evils which his father's imprudent government had 
brought upon the country. In this age of wonderful events, the atten- 
tion of all men was attracted by the Crusades, a war of a religious cha- 
racter, by the Christians against the Asiatics. The origin of these 
extraordinary wars arose, as great events often do, from the efforts of a 
single individual. I will give you a short sketch of them. While 
Palestine, or the Holy Land, remained a part of the Grecian empire, 
the approach of the European pilgrims to the holy places, was facilitated 
by the Christian governors of the provinces v/here they lay. Their 
churches were enriched by gifts, and became the resort of many per- 
sons of consequence, from the most distant parts of Christendom, to wor- 
ship at their shrines. 

Even v/hen the Holy Land fell under the power of the Saracens, that 
people felt their own interest in permitting (under payment of a certain 

Who succeeded laim in England ? Who in Normandy ? How did Philip 
strengthen the crown ? Who was associated with him in the government ? Who 
was Louis's enemy ? Who was his friend ? When did Philip die ? Who suc- 
ceeded him? What is said of the Crusades ? Of Palestine? 



66 PETER THE HERMIT. 

tax) the concourse of European pilgrims to Jerusalem and other 
places. 

The Mahometan possessors of Palestine therefore made the access 
tolerably easy, as long- as the pilgrims were not unwilling to pay the 
tolls. Thus the Califs or successors of Mahomet, derived a certain im- 
portance from being masters of Jerusalem ; and Haroun Alraschid, one 
of the most important of those princes, to conciliate Charlemagne, with 
whom he maintained a friendly intercourse, sent him the keys of the 
Holy Sepulchre. 

But when the Turks became masters of Jerusalem the treatment of 
the Christians was in every respect different. They preferred the plea- 
sure of insulting and maltreating them, and not only harassed them by 
exorbitant contributions, but often added pei-sonal ill usage. These 
evils at length made so strong an impression on the spirit of one single 
man that, like fire alighting among materials highly combustible, the 
flame spread throughout all Europe. This person v/as Peter called 
THE Hermit. He had himself been a pilgrim in Palestine, and could 
bear testimony as an eye-witness to the atrocities of the Turks, and the 
sufferings of the Christians. He repaired from court to court, from 
castle to castle, from city to city, setting forth the shame done to Chris- 
tendom, in leaving the holiest places connected with her religion, in 
possession of a barbarous foe. He appealed to the religion of one sove- 
reign, to the fears of another, and to the spirit of chivalry possessed by 
them all. 

Urban II., then Pope, saw the importance of uniting the European 
nations in a task so honourable to religion, and so likely to give import- 
ance to the Roman See. The pontiff himself set forth the advantage 
and necessity of laying all worldly tasks aside, until the Holy Sepulchre 
should be free from the heathen usurpers. To all, however criminal, 
who should lend aid to this holy warfare. Urban promised a full remis- 
sion of fheir sins here, and an indubitable portion of the joys of heaven 
hereafter. 

Thousands devoted themselves to the service of God, as they ima- 
gined, and to the recovery of Palestine with its shrines from the hands 
of the Turks. Each, to mark his devotion to this holy undertaking, put 
the form of a cross upon the shoulder of his cloak of a different colour 
from that of the garment itself The undertaking was thence called a 
crusade, and those who joined in its ranks were termed crusaders. The 
extraordinary enthusiasm circulated with amazing rapidity, and was 
everywhere received with the utmost interest and applause. The num- 
ber which assumed the cross amounted probably to liaif a million of indi- 
viduals. A very great proportion of this multitude were ignorant men, 
totally unaccustomed to warfare. We may form some idea of the low 
rank from which these men were gathered when we see, that although 
the strength of every army at that time consisted in. cavalry, this mis- 
cellaneous gathering, though composed of many thousand infantry, con- 
tained only ei^^f • horsemen. This tumultuous rabble did not wait for 

Of the Saracens ? The Califs? Hnroun Alraschid ? Tlie Turks? Peter the 
Hermit' Urban II. ? What sign did the Crusaders wear? FIuw luirnerous were 
they? Wiio headi^d them? 



PROGRESS OP THE CRUSADES. 57 

the great princes who had engaged in the expedition, but resolved to set 
out on the journey by themselves. To insure divine protection, they 
placed Peter the Hermit at their head. 

The leading squadrons were followed by immense bands, composed 
of similar materials, and they traversed Germany in separate bodies, 
committing in the progress, unheard-of disorders, and at length reach- 
ed Hungary, then inhabited by the remains of the Huns and Bulga- 
rians. These fierce people, though professing the Christian faith, find- 
ing that the military pilgrims spoiled their villages and seized their 
provisions, took arms against them, and destroyed so many of the cru- 
saders, that only about one third of the original host of the Hermit 
Peter, escaped into the Greek territories. 

Here the Emperor Alexius endeavoured to prevail on them to wait 
for reinforcements from Europe, but their enthusiasm induced them to 
rush on to their own destruction. They entered Asia Minor, and Soli- 
man, the Sultan of Antioch, decoyed them into the plains of Nice, 
where they fell beneath the arrows of the Turks, and by the diseases 
of the climate. Thus three hundred thousand champions of the Cross 
lost their lives, before the kings and nobles of Europe, who had taken 
the same vows, had been able to accomplish their preparations. There 
remained however behind, a well disciplined host, selected from the 
four principal nations of Europe. 

The French took the Cross with all the eagerness of their national 
character, and sent as many adventurers as all Europe besides. Philip 
their king, immersed in pleasures and unable to separate himself from 
his favourite Bertrade, evaded taking the engagement. Their best sol- 
diers followed the steps of Hugo (called the Great, brother to Philip), 
and of Godfrey of Bouillon called duke of Brabant, who was afterwards 
chosen chief of the crusade. The noblemen of Germany did not take 
arms in the same proportion as other countries ; they termed them fools, 
for going on so idle an expedition. England sent many barons, who 
arrayed themselves under Robert, called Curt-hose, or short-hose, the 
eldest son of William the Conqueror, whom he had succeeded as duke 
of Normandy. 

Such was the composition of the first crusade, a formidable arma- 
ment, whose numbers were almost incalculable. They adopted differ- 
ent roads for the more easy collecting of forage and provisions. Hugo, 
brother to the king of France, was defeated, and made prisoner on the 
road by the Bulgarians, and sent to Constantinople ; the other divisions 
of the Crusading array arrived safely under the walls of that city. 

Alexius, then emperor of Greece, had expected that the auxiliary 
forces would extend to no more than a moderate body of men-at-arms ; 
instead of which, he now saw himself begirt by armed legions from 
every corner of Europe. He at first refused to let so great a body of 
armed men pass into his Asiatic dominions, even to attack his enemies 
the Turks ; nor did he grant the crusaders a free passage over the Bos- 

Where were they opposed ? Why ? What ensued ? How many of the Cru- 
saders were slam and died in Asia Minor? Who were the French leaders? 
The English ? Did the Germans send any men? WHiat befel Hugo? What was 
required ol' the Crusaders by Alexius ? 



68 JERUSALEM TAKEN. 

phorus which divides Europe from Asia, until they would consent to 
take an oath of fealty to him. Godfrey of Bouillon, and the other lead- 
ers of the crusade, consented, rather than multiply the difficulties of 
their situation ; but it was with difficulty that the numerous and haughty 
chiefs were induced to take the oath. After much time wasted, and 
many promises, made and broken on the part of the Emperor, respect- 
ing supplies of provisions, wines, and other necessaries for the army ; 
the first crusade transported by the Greek shipping to the shores of 
Asia, began seriously to enter upon their holy warfare. 

They experienced numerous obstacles, and, in the various battles 
they were obliged to fight, lost great numbers of their men, but at 
length the remains of this mighty crusade advanced on Palestine (A. D. 
1099), and besieged the holy city of Jerusalem, so long the object of 
their vows, hopes, and wishes. The place, naturally strong, was de- 
fended by thick walls and bulwarks as well as by rocks, and eminences. 
The Crusaders who remained fit for service, out of a host, which num- 
bered its warriors by hundreds of thousands, did not amount to forty 
thousand men. Aladin, lieutenant of the Egyptian Calif, commanded 
an equal number of defenders. The Christians had therefore a difficult 
task before them, especially as they were in want of water, tents, and 
military engines. They at first attempted to take the city by main 
force, and made a general assault on the walls ; but they were beaten 
off with loss and dishonour. The siege was however pressed with 
vigour ; the chiefs endured their losses with firmness, and their experi- 
ence found supplies for their wants. Two wooden turrets, constructed 
upon wheels, were formed by some Genoese workmen to be advanced 
to the wall ; the first, under the command of Raymond, count of Tou- 
louse, was set on fire, and consumed by the besieged. The second, 
under the immediate superintendence of Godfrey of Bouillon, was with 
better fortune rolled up to the walls, where, as it overlooked the para- 
pet, the arrows from the archers within it, cleared the ramparts of the 
defenders. A draw-bridge then dropt between the tower and the wall 
— the attacking army poured over it, and obtained possession of the 
city. 

An indiscriminate massacre commenced, in which many thousand 
Mahometans were slain. When this pitiless slaughter (which lasted 
three days) was over, the victors, with a devotion strangely contrasted 
with their late cruelty, joined in a solemn pilgrimage to the Holy Se- 
pulchre, where loud hymns of praise, and devout tears of penitence, 
were enthusiastically poured forth as an acceptable ofl^ering to Heaven, 
by the very men whose hands were red with the blood spilt in an unpro- 
voked massacre. 

Godfrey of Bouillon, the foremost in obtaining possession of the city, 
was now declared king ; he would however only accept the title of De- 
fender of the Holy Sepulchre, and modestly assumed a crown of thorns 
instead of gold. 

In about a fortnight, the prince was called upon to defend his newly 

Whatbefel tlie crusaders in Asia Minor? When did they besiege Jerusalem? 
What was their force? Describe the siege. What followed the capture of tiie 
city ? Whal was done by GoJliey ? 



59 




Taking of Jerusalem. 



THE TEMPLARS, 61 

conquered metropolis against the Calif of Egypt, who was advancing in 
person to revenge its capture. They met in the valley of Ascalon, 
where the Egyptians were totally defeated. In this manner was esta- 
blished the kingdom of Jerusalem, which endured about a century after 
its establishment, till its destruction by Saladin in 1187. During that 
period that state underwent so many civil convulsions as rendered it 
unfit to defend itself against the Mahometans, who were perpetually 
bent upon recovering a territory which they considered as their own. 
Various attempts were however made to support the Christians in their 
defence. One was by the erection of two great societies, or communi- 
ties of knights, who took upon them a vow of celibacy, of poverty, and 
of obedience to their spiritual superiors : but were in other respects, sol- 
diers sworn to defend the Temple of Jerusalem against the Pagans. 
This order of military monks did great service in the protection of the 
Holy Land. But when these Templars, as they were called, became 
wealthy and powerful, their manners became corrupted and dissolute ; 
they were accused of meditating enterprises dangerous to Christian 
monarchs, and to Christianity in general ; so that the order of Templars 
was suppressed about the year 1312, two hundred years after it had 
been erected. The other association was called the Knights Hospital- 
lers of St. John of Jerusalem, whose first vow was providing hospitality 
for pilgrims ; though, like the Templar,:, they chiefly devoted themselves 
to military exploits. Besides the support of these two warlike fraterni- 
ties formed for the preservation of the Holy Land, other crusades were 
formed from time to time. These will be mentioned in the course of 
our story. In the mean time we may conclude our sketch of the first 
crusade by mentioning the death of its hero, Godfrey of Bouillon (A. D. 
1100), whose virtues and talents had succeeded in giving a temporary 
appearance of strength and consistency to the dominions conquered by 
his valour. Philip died in 1108, leaving on the throne Louis le Gros. 



CHAPTER XIL 
LOUIS VI. AND LOUIS VII. (1108). 



While the princes and barons of the first crusade were establishing, 
in Palestine, the little kingdom of Jerusalem, various alterations took 
place in Europe, by which the rights of the absentees were materially 
affected. No one suffered more than Robert duke of Normandy. To 
furnish himself for the crusade, he had pawned the duchy of Normandy, 
to his brother William Rufus, for a large sura of money; and while he 
was employed in the East, William was privately engaged in rendering 
permanent the temporary interest which the mortgage gave him of the 

Who attacked him ? Where was the CaHf defeated ? How long was Jerusalem 
in the hands of the Christians ? What orders of knighthood were established ? 
When were the Templai-s suppressed ? What was the first vow of the Hospital- 
lers ? When did Godfrey die ? How did William Rufus injure Robert? 

6 



63 LONGSWORD* 

duchy ; and it soon became evident that he would not easily renounce 
the right he had acquired over it. But the death of William Rufiis, in- 
troduced a third son of the conqueror. This was Henry the youngest, 
w^hom his brothers, both Robert and William, had treated with conside- 
rable severity after their father's death, and had refused him every 
appanage becoming his rank. Civil war ensued among them, and Henry 
began to acquire partisans even in his brother's dukedom. But the sud- 
den return of Robert recalled to their allegiance the wavering faith of 
his vassals. 

A short truce did not prevent the brothers engaging in a war, which 
was decided by the battle of Tenchebraie, in Normandy, in which duke 
Robert was defeated and made prisoner. He was thrown into perpetual 
imprisonment, but allowed in his captivity all the pleasures of the table, 
etc. He was a prince of the most undaunted courage, and had done 
many famous things at the sieges of Antioch and Jerusalem, but he Vv''as 
unfit to govern. 

The kingdom of England and the dukedom of Normandy being now 
united in the person of Henry, excited the jealousy of the king of 
France. There were, on that account, several wars betv/een Henry of 
England and Louis, who had acquired the surname of Gross, from his 
size. The most formidable war which the latter monarch incited against 
the king of England, had for its pretext, the interest of the youth, Wil- 
liam Clito. This was the only son of the captive Robert, duke of Nor- 
mandy, in whose behalf the king of France not only took arms himself, 
but instigated several of the great vassals of the crown to do the same. 
A great number of the barons and knights of Normandy were privately 
enlisted in the design of placing the ducal coronet upon the head of this 
deserving son. Henry passed over to Normandy to defend his duchy 
against his nephew, and took with him a gallant army of English, as 
well as Normans. Louis at the head of the forces of the confederates 
of young William, also known by the name of Longsword from the 
weapon which he wielded, advanced towards Rouen, and found himself 
unexpectedly in front of the English. 

Young Longsword charged the van of the English araiy so fiercely, 
as to throw them into disorder. But Henry advanced with his house- 
hold troops and restored the engagement. The king of Frajice lost his 
horse and his standard. Henry restored the steed to its royal owner, 
but kept the banner as an honourable trophy. This courtesy led to a 
peace highly honourable to the king of England. 

Louis of France, at this peace, conceded a point of great consequence 
to the king of England. Henry had refused to pay" homage for Nor- 
mandy, as had been the custom, remarking that such rendering of hom- 
age was unworthy of a royal person. Louis now finding the war turn 
against him, reluctantly consented that William, the only son of Henry, 
should be invested with the fief of Normandy, and do homage for the 
same, although aware doubtless, that Henry would retain all the power 

Who attacked William ? What happened on Robert's return ? What were his 
fate and rharacler? Who now attacked Henry? What is said of William Clito ? 
Of the barons and knights of Normandy? Of the batde? Its result? Who was 
made duke of JNoiniandy ? With what condition ? 



^THE OfilFLAMME. 63 

and wealth of the duchy. But the young prince William perished at 
sea, and thus the plan of accommodation fell to the ground. The king 
of France, as Henry was now without a son, renewed his intrigues with 
William Clito. He caused this young prince to be married to a daugh- 
ter of the count of Anjou, with whom he received in dowry, the county 
of Maine. Established thus, in a powerful seigniory near the frontiers 
of Normandy, William Clito found it easy to form, once more, a great 
confederacy against Henry, among the nobles of that dukedom. The 
king of England however obtained a complete and easy victory over the 
insurgent nobles. Triumphant in Normandy, Henry now sought revenge 
on the king of France, and used for this purpose the assistance of Henry 
v., emperor of Germany, to whom Matilda, the monarch of England's 
only remaining child, had been for some years married. He assembled 
an army from the German states, and threatened to enter France. But 
the invasion of France by a German army was not viewed with indif- 
ference by the great vassals of the former country. Even the barons 
who had private quarrels with their monarch Louis, or private confede- 
racies with Henry of England, joined the former upon this occasion, 
and he found no difficulty in assembling an army of two hundred thou- 
sand men. 

To give them additional ardour, it is said, that for the first time, the 
Oriflamme, or Great Standard of France, was displayed. This was a 
flag of crimson attached to a gilded lance, from which it drew its name, 
which implies a golden flame. The emperor Henry unprepared to 
encounter such an army, retired before the Oriflamme, and the immense 
body of men assembled round it. He died soon after this, and Henry 
of England recalled to his own court the widowed empress Matilda, his 
daughter, and formed the bold plan of appointing her the heiress of his 
dominions as the sole successor of his blood. The feudal custom seemed 
to exclude the empress Matilda from succeeding her father in the duke- 
dom of Normandy ; and in England the settlement of the crown on a 
woman was yet unheard of. Henry however induced the parliament 
to agree to his daughter's succession. 

Amidst ceaseless, though petty wars, and frequent negotiations, Louis 
VL, now becoming aged, and his corpulence which had procured him 
the surname of the Gross, increasing, he endeavoured, according to the 
custom of the house of Capet, to supply his own deficiencies by associ- 
ating (A. D. 1129) with him on the throne, his eldest son Louis, a youth 
of great hopes ; but his father did not long enjoy his assistance in the 
affairs of government, grown too weighty for his own management. 
Riding in the streets of Paris, not many months after his coronation, a 
black pig ran between his horse's feet, caused the young king a severe 
fall (A. D. 1131), and he did not survive many days. 

Deprived of his eldest son, the king raised to the throne his second 
son called Louis le Jeune, in order to distinguish him from his father. 
After a short time, the old king finding his health decline surrendered 

What befel him ? Who now made war in Normandy? What was the result? 
What attacked Louis ? Who aided Henry? How many men had Louis? What 
is said of the Oriflamme ? Of the emperor Henry ? Of Matilda? What misfor- 
tune befel Louis in 1131 ? What is said of Louis le Jeune ? 



64 MASSACSE AT VITRY. 

his power altogether to his son. When he delivered his signet to him 
he said, " Take this symbol of my sovereign power ; hut never forget 
it is only a public trust for the exercise of which you loill hereafter he 
called to the strictest account before the King of kings^ After this 
he never again assumed the ornaments of royalty. Yet he lived to 
witness an event of the deepest interest in his family.. 

This was the marriage of his son Louis with Eleanor, daughter of 
William X. duke of Aquitaine and Guienne. On her marriage with 
Louis VIL, she was crowned queen of France, and shortly afterwards 
Louis le Gros died (A. D. 1137). 

The reign of Louis the Young, as he was called, being eighteen 
years old, commenced with violent commotions among the nobility and 
great vassals of the crown. These dignitaries thought the minority, of 
the prince a convenient time to recover a part of their power. Thi- 
bault, earl of Champagne, one of the most artful intriguers, and turbu- 
lent agitators of the period, engaged himself in terming conspiracies 
among the nobility, for diminishing the authority of the crown. En- 
raged at the intrigues of this factious nobleman, tJie king ravaged his 
county of Champagne with unrelenting severity. The town of Vitry 
was taken by assault ; and the cathedral, containing thirteen hundred 
persons, who had fled thither as to an inviolable sanctuary, v/as de- 
livered to the flames, and all who were within it perished. 

This cruel deed was scarcely done but it was repented ; and besides 
the massacre and conflagration, Louis conceived that he had other sins 
to atone for. The conviction that he had committed a great and most 
inhuman crime distracted the mind of the young prince. He opened 
his conscience to Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux (afterwards saint Ber- 
nard) : this churcliman, availing himself of the remorse which agitated 
the king's heart, took the opportunity to persuade him, that the best and 
only atonement, would be a crusade to the Holy Land, undertaken with 
a force fetrong enough to restore the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem. 

Upon the earnest exhortation of saint Bernard, Louis le Jeune was 
induced to assume the cross, and determine on an expedition to the 
Holy Land, with the whole strength of his kingdom. At a great par- 
liament or assembly of the representatives of the French nation, which 
was, on account of the number who attended it, held in the open air, 
Louis took from the hands of Bernard a cross which had been conse- 
crated at Rome for his particular use, and many of the great vassals 
followed the example of their sovereign. The gentry and nobility took 
arms in emulation of each other; and those who assumed the cross, 
sent a distaff" and scissars to those who did not, to upbraid them \x\i\x 
cowardice and effeminacy. 

Among the French host was the queen of France herself; she was 
attended by a large band of the youth of both sexes. Some gallant 
damsels were mounted on horseback in the masculine fashion ; while a 
chosen band of tlie gayest and most noble young men of France, as- 
sumed the title of queen Eleanor's guard. Louis left his dominions 

Whom did he many? When did Louis le Cros die ? What is said of Tliibault? 
Of Vifry? Of liOnis I Of Bernard ? What did Bernard induce Louis lo do? De- 
scribe tlie takinsf of (he cross. What ladies went to the Criisado ? 



CRUSADERS IN ASIA MINOR. 65 

during- his absence to the care of his relative and favourite, the Earl of 
Vermandois, and to Suger, abbot of St. Denis. 

The crusade now began to set forvi/ard. The Germans were the first 
who advanced into Greece, and they v^ere received by the reigning 
emperor, Manuel Comnenus, with as much apparent good will, but still 
more secret and active hostility, than his predecessor Alexius had nou- 
rished against the first crusade. This treacherous prince assigned them 
false guides, by w^hom they were induced to take up their quarters on 
the banks of the unwholesome Melas, a river which consists only of 
mud during summer, and forms a sea in the winter. No secret artifice 
was spared by which the formidable numbers of these simple devotees 
might be diminished. 

The host of France, under its young monarch, now arrived in Asia, 
and by precaution, or good fortune, escaped many of the snares which 
Jiad been spread for the Germans by the treachery of the Greeks, At 
length, with forces totally discouraged, and greatly diminished, the 
German emperor took the resolution of falling back on his friend and 
ally, the king of France, whose army, as yet, maintained an appear- 
ance of order. The two monarchs embraced each other with tears of 
sorrow. It was then proposed that they should proceed in company to- 
wards Palestine, but the German troops were so much reduced that the 
emperor could no longer remain at their head, and he determined upon 
returning to Constantinople. 

The march of the French army was now opposed by a large body of 
Turks, on the opposite bank of the Mseander, determined to defend the 
passage of that river. It was not fordable, nor was there any apparent 
mode of crossing. At the command of the king, the vanguard plunged 
gallantly into the stream, and fortunately finding it shallower than had 
been reported, half swimming", half dragging each other forward, they 
attained the opposite bank. The Turks, too much astonished for resist- 
ance, experienced a decisive and bloody defeat. But the battle on the 
Mseander was the beginning and well-nigh the end of the success of 
the Christians. The French, marching in two divisions in order to 
cross a ridge of mountains near Laodicea, Louis, who conducted the 
rearguard in person, directed the officer who led the van, to halt on the 
summit of the chain of hills, till the second division should come up ; 
but he, tempted by the supposed absence of the enemy, and the fertility 
of the plain beneath, marched dowm, leaving' the summit undefended, 
and giving the Turks, who were on the alert, an opportunity of occu- 
pying the passes in great force. 

When Louis reached the place where he expected to rejoin the van- 
guard of his army, he found himself involved in a numerous ambuscade 
of the Turks, who attacked him unexpectedly. The Christians thus 
taken by surprise, were thrown into disorder, especially as the broken 
and craggy ground was totally unfit for the action of heavy armed 
cavalry, which was the flower of their army. The unfortunate Louis 
displayed great personal courage, and rallied his forces by his own ex- 

Who were left regents of France ? How were the crusaders treated by Manuel 
Comnenus? What is said of the French ? Of the Germans ? Of the emperor? 
Describe the passage of the Mseander, and the battle. 

.6* 



66 FAILURE or THE CRUSADE. 

ample. He was extricated from his perilous situation by tlie counter- 
march of part of his van-guard, but he had lost in this unfortunate atlair, 
more than twenty thousand men, in killed, wounded and prisoners. 

The following day Louis proceeded to Attalia (the capital city of 
Pamphylia). The inhabitants, who were Christians, though tributary to 
the Turks, dared neither oppose nor assist the invaders ; but, in order 
to rid themselves of them, they offered to convey them to Antioch by 
sea. The king therefore and part of his army went on ship-board, and 
set sail for Antioch, which was now governed by Raymond de Poitiers, 
a Latin prince, who received the king with demonstrations of respect 
and kindness. Louis however regarded his attentions and civility with 
distrust, conceiving it to be Raymond's secret object to obtain the assis- 
tance of the French troops, in protecting and enlarging his own terri- 
tory, and for that purpose to delay their journey to Palestine. 

While the choicest part of the French army which accompanied 
Louis himself had reached Antioch, those who were left behind at At- 
talia made repeated attempts, both by land and sea, to rejoin their 
monarch ; but they were unsuccessful ; and so humbled was the pride 
and resolution of the soldiers of the cross, that three or four thousand 
of their number not only surrendered to the Asiatics, but also embraced 
the Mahometan faith, and fought against the cause they had engaged 
to defend. The few of the army which reached Antioch, came as 
stragglers unfit for military service. 

Meantime, besides the grief and mortification caused by these mis- 
fortunes, the mind of Louis had subject of domestic anxiety, or at least 
he thought so. He became jealous of his queen and of Raymond of 
Antioch, and left that city in haste to rejoin his army, taking his wife 
with him. He soon after entered Palestine, and obtained some partial 
success, which induced him, with the assistance of the Templai's and 
the knights of St. John, to attack the city of Damascus. But the 
strength of the Crusaders was wasted, and misapplied: success became 
impossible, and the siege of Damascus was raised. 

Repeated disasters and disappointments had now subdued the hopes 
of the Crusaders; and they all prepared to abandon an enterprise which 
Providence seemed to oppose. The emperor Conrade and his Germans 
first withdrew from the scene, and reached their own country without 
further disaster. Next, the French nobles began to retire individually, 
or, as it were, to steal back one by one, from the ill-omened enterprise. 
King Louis alone seemed yet to nourish a lingering hope, and it w^as 
not till he was alarmed with news of commotions in France, that he 
resolved to abandon Palestine, and return to his kingdom with the 
miserable remains of his army. 

What was the French loss ? Who sent on the anny to Antioch ? Who received 
tliem there ? What befel the remnant of the army left in Attalia ? What disturb- 
ed Louis ? What siege did he undertake ? With what success ? Who deserted 
him ? What caused his return to France ? 



QUEEN ELEANOR. 67 

CHAPTER XIII. 
FAILURE OF THE CRUSADE— RETURN OF LOUIS VII. (1148). 

The excellent administration of Suger, the abbot of St. Denis, had 
maintained the affairs of Louis le Jeune in a pretty good condition at 
home, notwithstanding the absence of the king with the great portion 
of his forces. But when the news arrived that almost the whole of 
that army had perished, without a single feat that could add honour to 
their nation, the general voice accused the king of incapacity ; and it 
was suggested that he should be dethroned, and sent to a cloister. 

The coMTE OF Dreux, brother of king Louis, had returned from the 
Holy Land a short time before him, and had greatly increased the 
national displeasure, by intrigues, which had for their object his bro- 
ther's crown. These dissensions were with some difficulty arranged, 
when the return of Louis rendered the comte of Dreux's plans desper- 
ate. Bat there remained the rooted quarrel between the king, and his 
wealthy and haughty wife queen Eleanor, and each began to think of a 
divorce. 

A council of the French national church was held at Baugence, and 
having consulted on the subject, decided that the nearness of blood of 
the royal couple was sufficient pretext to declare their marriage unlaw- 
ful, though it had already subsisted more than sixteen years, and two 
daughters were by the sentence rendered illegitimate. 

The decree of the council of Baugence was confirmed by the Pope ; 
and the marriage was formally annulled, Eleanor was reinvested as 
heiress to her late father in Guienne, Gascony, Poitou and other exten- 
sive territories belonging to his dukedom of Aquitaine : thus having 
once more the power of bestowing ample property with her hand, she 
fixed her attention on Henry Plantagenet, eldest son of Matilda, sole 
surviving child of Henry I., king of England, and heir to his mother's 
title to his grandfather's kingdom. You cannot have forgotten that 
Henry had declared Matilda, the widow of the emperor Henry V., of 
Germany, heiress of his kingdom ; and strengthened her right by choos- 
ing for her second husband Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou. 

When Eleanor cast her eyes upon Henry Plantagenet, he was duke 
of Normandy, count of Anjou, Maine and Touraine, and therefore no 
unfit mate for the heiress of Aquitaine ; and no doubt the brilliant pros- 
pect of the crown of England, to which Henry had so just a claim, had 
a great share in recommending him to the ambitious Eleanor. 

By her union with Henry, which soon took place (A. D. 1152), Elea- 
nor conferred on him the two duchies of Guienne and Gascony, with the 
earldom of Poitou, and their extensive dependencies. 

Louis became alarmed, when he perceived to what a height of power 
Henry Plantagenet had been raised by this unexpected match. He be- 

What is said of Suger? Of the Comte de Dreiix ? Of Eleanor ? Whom did 
she marry after her divorce from Louis ? 



68 SIEGE OF TOULOUSE. 

came impatient to weaken, or rather to ruin him, and he engaged in a 
league with his brother the earl of Dreux, with Eustace, son of king 
Stephen, with tlie earl of Blois, and with Geoffi-ey Plahtagenet, Hen- 
ry's own brother, for the purpose of despoiling the young duke of Nor- 
mandy of his dominions, and of dividing them among themselves ; but 
this iniquitous league had no better success than it deserved. 

Henry was soon after established on the English throne by the sud- 
den death of his competitor, Stephen, whose whole reign had been a 
continuation of civil war. Thus possessing as much real power as 
Louis, and more wealth, Henrj'- II. proposed a match betwixt his eldest 
son prince Henry, and Margaret, daughter of Louis le Jeune by his 
second wife Cons'tantia, princess of Castile, whom he had married after 
the declaration of the council of Baugence had annulled his union with 
Eleanor of Aquitaine. 

The prince and princess were children; but it was customary in 
those days to arrange contracts of marriage between persons of their 
■Station, many years before they could be carried into effect. 

The English monarch was also cautiously enlarging his territories, 
and adding to his power. Thus, in 1159, he resolved to assert a pre- 
tended right to the city and earldom of Toulouse, as a dependency of 
the dukedom of Aquitaine, which had been pledged to the present earl 
by queen Eleanor's father, and which, in quality of her husband, he 
Jiow claimed. This he determined to maintain by the arms of Nor- 
mandy, Guienne and England. 

Raymond count of Toulouse, the crown vassal, being thus threatened, 
applied to the king of France, whose sister he had married, for protec- 
tion against a prince whose forces he was unable to resist ; and Louis, 
■on offering his interposition, threw himself into the city of Toulouse 
with a handful of soldiers, where he raised his own standard. Henry's 
forces were in readiness for the siege, and most likely he might, by a 
sudden attack, have made himself master of the city, and of the person 
of Louis, thus imprudently hazarded within it. The question was de- 
bated in Henry's council, when some statesmen insisted on the respect, 
which v/as dae to the lord paramount; and Henry reflected, that he 
himself was at the head of an army assembled only Ijy his feudal pov/er, 
and that it would be perilous to show in his own person any contempt 
for that fealty to the superior, upon which his own authority rested. 
Upon the whole, therefore, ho thought it prudent to abandon the siege 
of Toulouse (A. D. 1159), alleging as a motive, the respect he enter- 
tained for the person of the Lord Paramount who was \vithin the city. 
Louis was flattered by his moderation, and peace was shortlj' afterwards 
made, on condition of Henry retaining considerable conquests made at 
the expense of the count of Toulouse, to whom he granted, at the re- 
quest, as he carefully stated, of the king of France, a truce for the 
short space only of one single year. 

Hitherto there had been little sincerity in the apparent good under- 

What league did he form ? Wliat resiiUed from it ? What death now happened ? 
What marriage ? For what did the kmg of England now make war ? What 
was done by Raymond of Toulouse ? By Henry ? On what condition was pence 
made? 



QUAilREL OF HENRY AND LOUIS. 69 

standing between Henry and Louis ; and many wars were occasioned 
by it. In all these disputes, Henry, more prudent, more wealthy, and 
more fortunate, had, either by arms or negotiation, enlarged his own 
territories at the expense of those of Louis ; but he was doomed to ex- 
perience many embarrassments and misfortunes in the latter part of his 
life. 

Louis of France was not idle during an interval when Henry's usual 
good fortune seemed to desert him ; nor was he slow in seeking a cause 
of quarrel, or means to prosecute it. He at first pretended displeasure 
against Henry for having caused his eldest son to be crowned in Eng- 
land as successor to that kingdom, while the wife of that young prince, 
Margaret princess of France, was yet in her native country. But Henry 
deprived Louis of that pretence by expressing his willingness to repeat 
the ceremony of coronation. The king of France then adopted a more 
subtle mode of assailing an adversary who had proved too powerful for 
him while he followed the ordinary rules of open hostility. 

Louis requested the presence of his daughter and son-in-law, the 
younger Henry, for some time at the French court The English 
princes of the Norman race were never remarkable for domestic affec- 
tion, and, from the time of the Conqueror, it had been no unusual thing 
in that house, to see the son in arms against the father. Louis there- 
fore found no great difficulty in insinuating into the mind of the younger 
Henry that his father kept the throne too long, and did not indulge him, 
though crowned, with a sufficient share of independent power. When 
the young prince returned to England, he instilled the same spirit of 
unnatural ambition into his brothers, Geoffrey and Richard (afterwards 
the renowned Cceur de Lion). 

John, the fourth and youngest prince, was not of an age to take a 
share in the family quarrel ; but queen Eleanor, their mother, had been 
for some time dissatisfied with the small share which the king allowed 
to her, in his councils, and affections ; and took all the means in her 
power to inflame the bad passions of her three elder sons, and induce 
them to unite in a league with the king of France against their father. 
The king of Scotland was engaged in the same confederacy, and seve- 
ral of the great barons of England were ripe for rebellion. This formi- 
dable league was entered into at a time when Henry was on bad terms 
with the Pope, and odious to all the priests on account of the death of 
Beeket, who had been assassinated at Canterbury by some of Henry's 
favourites. But he had been a prudent economist, and now made the 
treasures he had amassed, the means of saving his throne, without 
trusting to those vassals who might have betrayed his cause. 

He hired a large body of German mercenaries, who for many years 
had gained a living by their swords, and who were ready to embrace the 
cause of any prince in Europe who required their services and was able 
and willing to pay for them. Henry immediately took the field : he 
opposed himself everywhere to his enemies, defeated the rebels, and 
soon had the pleasure to see Louis le Jeune retreat before him. He 

What did Louis seek? How did he intrigue against Henry? What did he 
request ? How did he injure Henry ? What was the consequence ? Who leagued 
against Henry ? How did he save h'ls throne ? 



70 DEATH OF LOUIS LE JEUNE. 

then marched to the relief of Rouen which was closely besieged, and 
compelled the united armies of France and Flanders to retire from 
before it. This chain of events had a great effect upon the king of 
France. He sent ambassadors to treat for peace, to which Henry, satis- 
fied with his success, willingly assented. He settled liberal appanages 
upon the three young princes, Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey; and 
endeavoured to secure their affections, by allowances of domains and 
revenues. The greatest satisfaction which Louis received from the 
peace, was a hope that the king of England might be induced to join 
him in a crusade. 

Henry apparently consented to this wild proposal ; and the Pope hav- 
ing joined his solicitations to those of Louis, it was not in his power to 
evade the summons. Regulations were accordingly adopted between 
the two monarchs for the preparations ; there is little doubt however, 
that Henry was secretly determined to take every opportunity that 
might occur, to postpone, and finally to avoid this useless and perilous 
expedition. The French king on the contrary, was perfectly serious, 
and determined to provide for the government of his kingdom in his 
absence, by crowning his son Philip, a youth of the highest expecta- 
tions, as his associate and successor in the French throne. A singular 
event prevented the ceremony. The young prince Philip was sepa- 
rated from his attendants, while on a hunting party in the forest of Com- 
piegne, and wandered there all night. The uneasiness of mind he had 
undergone caused a dangerous illness, from vv^hich he was scarcely reco- 
vered, when his father was struck with a palsy. The coronation of 
Philip took place soon afterwards, though his father could not be pre- 
sent. In the next year (A. D. 1180), Louis le Jeune died. He was a 
prince of m.any excellent qualities; brave, well-meaning, temperate, 
and honest; but he was neither a general nor a politician. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
PHILIP II. (1180). 



Philip, the son of Louis le Jeune, succeeded his father : he possessed 
so many noble (pialities, that in French history, he is distinguished from 
the other monarchs of the same name by the imperial title of Augustus, 
and it was chiefly by his means that the royal house of France recov- 
ered that influence wliich, during the life of Louis, had been in a great 
measure overshaded, by the predominance of the house of Anjon, whose 
power, carefully augmented by the wisdom of Henry IT., had placed 
that monarch in the situation rather of a rival than a vassal of the king 
of France. 



How did he treat his conquered enemies? What is said of the intended cru- 
sade ? The coronation ? When did Louis le Jeune die ? What was his character ? 
What were Philip's cliaracter and title? 



PRUDENT GOVERNMENT OF PHILIP II. 71 

On Philip's accession to the throne he was not yet fifteen years of 
age ; yet his first public measure was one of a more severe character, 
than could have been expected from so young a monarch. All jesters, 
jugglers, and buffoons, whose idle occupation it was to encourage dis- 
sipation and misuse of time, were banished from the court. By this, 
his people learned that their young king proposed to remove from about 
his person, all incentives to the light taste and unprofitable follies of 
youth. 

In another of his early measures, Philip consulted, in an eminent de- 
gree, the advantage of his subjects and of his realm. The constant 
wars of France had given occasion to the association of numerous vagrant 
bands of men, whose profession was arms, and who, without any regard 
to the cause in which they served, were ready to engage in behalf of 
any prince who was willing to employ them. 

But though it was a prompt and useful resource to princes in time of 
war, nothing could be more oppressive to the people in peace, than the 
existence of such numerous bands of various nations, leading an idle and 
dissolute life, at the expense of the oppressed peasantry; and breaking 
every law of society without a possibility of bringing them to justice, 
except by a pitched battle. They frequently laid the country under 
contribution, and obliged the cities, on peril of assault and pillage, to 
pay large sums for their maintenance. These troops of lawless depre- 
dators were distinguished by the appellations of Cottereaux, Brabangons, 
Routiers, and Tavardins. Philip commanded his soldiers to assist the 
burghers of the good towns against these disorderly freebooters, and he 
himself defeated them in one great action, in which nine thousand were 
slain. 

By these exertions, this plague of the country was in a great measure 
checked, although it continued until a much later period of French his- 
tory. Philip also compelled the citizens of the large towns to pave 
their streets, and to surround their cities with walls and fortifications, 
so as to ensure the power of repelling the attacks of these roving bri- 
gands. These measures gave a favourable character to his reign. His 
intercourse with his contemporary princes was not so praiseworthy. 

It must be supposed that Henry of England entertained no small ap- 
prehension of the increasing influence of a young prince who, with bet- 
ter judgment than his father Louis, entertained the same jealousy of the 
overgrown power of his vassal of Normandy. These apprehensions 
became yet more alarming, when the king of England found that his 
children, Henry, Richard, and Geoffi"ey, to whom John, the youngest of 
the brothers, now joined himself, were engaged in intrigues with the 
king of France, in order to obtain a portion of Henry's English domi- 
nions, as a reward for lending their assistance to Philip to strip their 
father of the whole. Embarrassing as were these unnatural cabals, the 
manner in which the king of England was freed from them in the case 
of Henry, his eldest son, was yet more afflicting to the father. An 
express brought the news that his son had indeed repented of his filial 
ingratitude, but it was accompanied with the tidings that the youth lay 

His first public measure ? How did he treat the freebooters ? Tlie cities ? With 
whom did PliiHp intrigue ? ^ 



72 DEATH OF HENKY II. 

on his death-bed, and implored his father's blessing and forgiveness. So 
great was the king's suspicion of those about the younger Henry, that 
he was afraid to entrust his person in their hands even upon this press- 
ing occasion. Suppressing, therefore, his desire to fly to the sick-bed 
of his son, the king sent him his pardon, his blessing, and a ring of gold, 
as a token to assure him of both. The dying penitent, to show the sin- 
cerity of his repentance, tied a halter about his neck, arrayed himself in 
sackcloth, and commanded his attendants to stretch him upon a layer of 
ashes, and in this manner he expired. The aged king swooned away 
three times upon hearing of the death of his son, and was for some time 
inconsolable. 

New wars and misunderstandings now arose betvv^een France and 
England. Adelaide, sister to Philip king of France, had been for some 
time residing at the court of England, under the idea that she was to be 
united to Richard, now the eldest surviving son of Henry II. But for 
some reasons, the king of England repeatedly postponed the marriage, 
so as to excite the suspicion that he himself entertained a passion for the 
young princess. King Philip now demanded, at the sword's point, the 
settlement of his sister's marriage, and a conference was appointed. 
The monarchs met in a plain near Gisors, the frontier of their respective 
dominions, destitute of shade, except that of a single venerable elm-tree, 
which grew on the Norman side of the boundary. The sun was burn- 
ing hot; but, instead of admitting his liege sovereign, the king of 
France, to a share of the shadow of the elm-tree, Henry, with less than 
his usual courtesy, protected himself and his party from the heat under 
the boughs, from which they excluded Philip and his followers. The 
French, incensed at this assumption of superiority, and further provoked 
by the raillery of Henry's attendants, suddenly charged the English 
sword in hand. Henry escaped with difficulty to the castle of Gisors, 
several 'of his attendants were slain in his defence, and Philip caused 
the elm to be cut down in token of his victory. Philip also gained some 
superiority, the rather that Richard, the son of Henry, desirous of being 
wedded to the princess Adelaide, took part with the king of France 
against his father. 

The king of England's health was injured by defeats and disgraces ; 
his feelings were racked by his children's ingratitude ; and his body at 
the same time attacked by a fever. On his death-bed, he declared that 
Geoffrey, his natural son, was the only one of his family, who had acted 
towards him with filial respect and obedience. The death of this great 
and intelligent prince removed from the increasing power of Philip one 
of the greatest obstacles to the success of his reign. 

The king of France now formed a close alliance with Richard (CcBur 
de Lion), who succeeded his father Henry, and beuig full of youthful 
love of adventure, made himself a voluntary party to the fatal expedi- 
tion for the restoration of the fallen kingdom of Jerusalem, in which his 
father had engaged so unwillingly, and had so frequently postponed. 
Philip readily adopted him as brother and companion of his enterprise. 

Relate the circumstances of the prince's death and Henry's grief. What new 
source of dissension arose between Phihp and Henry? What passed at the confer- 
ence ? Describe the death of Henry II. Who joined Philip in a crusade ? 



ANOTHER CRUSADE. 73 

The characters of these princes had a near resemblance to each other ; 
both were brave in war, ambitious, and highly desirous of honour. But 
the character of Richard united the most desperate courage with the 
greatest rashness and obstinacy, which reduced his feats of valour to 
extravagant and useless exploits. Philip, on the contrary, combined 
caution and policy with valour, and was by far a more able monarch 
than his rival. 

The armies of the confederate princes rendezvoused at Lyons, where 
Philip took the road to Italy by crossing the Alps, in order to embark at 
Genoa, while Richard with his host took shipping at Marseilles. At 
the time when the two most powerful nations of Christendom took arms 
for the rescue of Palestine, the multitude of adventurers from Europe, 
enabled Guy de Lusignan, the Christian king of Jerusalem (whom Sa- 
lad in had made prisoner, but had not thought worth detaining in cap- 
tivity) to form the siege of Ptolemais or Acre, a strong place possessing 
an excellent harbour, the occupation of which might greatly facilitate 
the arrival of succours from Europe, which were promised on all sides. 
The siege of Acre had lasted till the spring of the second year. Saladin 
had pitched his camp, and lay with his numerous troops near the town, 
and daily skirmishes took place between the contending armies. 

The king of France appeared first on this eventful scene, but proved 
unequal to decide the fate of Acre, though he tried to do so by a fierce 
and general assault. It is said that he led his troops to the attack in 
person, and broke down a postern-door, with his strong hand and battle- 
axe. Leopold, duke of Austria, also distinguished himself by his per- 
sonal intrepidity, for which, as armorial bearings were then coming into 
use, the emperor is said to have assigned him a banner expressive of his 
bravery. 

Saladin, who saw the fall of Acre, gave the citizens permission to 
make the best terms they could ; and on his part engaged to set all 
Christian captives at liberty, and to restore to the Crusaders the cross 
on which our Saviour suffered, or at least a relic which bore that repu- 
tation, and which had been taken by him at the battle of Tiberias. But 
Saladin either could not, or would not, comply with these conditions. 
The impetuous Richard would hear of no delay, and put to death at once 
all his Mahometan prisoners, to the number of seven thousand. On 
account of this rashness and cruelty, he sustained the just blame of 
having occasioned the death of an equal number of Christia^ns, prisoners 
to the sultan, whom Saladin slaughtered by way of reprisal. 

While the furious Richard was thus incurring public censure, he had 
the mortification to see Philip acquire praise for his superior wisdom 
and moderation ; for, by preserving his Mahometan prisoners alive, he 
was able to exchange them for as many captive Christians. The differ- 
ence in the character of the two kings, began to be remarked by the 
soldiers, and though the common men preferred the rude, savage, and 
fearless character of the English monarch, the wise and experienced 
leaders saw higher personal qualities in his companion and rival. Richard 

What were their characters? Whence did tlie armies sail ? Who was besieging 
Acre? Who aided him to take it? How did Richard treat his prisoners? What 
was the consequence ? 

7 



T4 PHILIP LEAVES PALESTINE. 

had given another cause of discontent at the siege of Acre. When the 
city surrendered, Leopold, duke of Austria, displayed his new banner 
on the principal tower : the fierce temper of the king of England caught 
fire at the Austrian's arrogance, and he commanded the banner to be 
pulled down and thrown into the ditch. The duke felt the indignity 
offered to him, but forbore at that time to manifest any resentment. 
The king of France soon found that this enterprise was of a ruinous 
and desperate nature, and the arrogant and capricious character of the 
English king required also to be soothed and kept in temper with more 
attention and deference than a monarch like Philip could pay to a prince 
who was bound to render him homage for a large part of his dominions. 
Nor did it escape Philip's discernment, that if he employed at home, 
the troops and money he was likely to expend in the fi-uitless prosecu- 
tion of the Crusade, he might avail himself of the opportunity to annex 
to the crown of France the fiefs of some of those great vassals who were 
daily falling in the wars of Palestine. 

For these reasons he determined on returning to his own country. It 
was necessary to satisfy, or at least to stop, the complaints of Richard, 
who alleged as a leading motive of Philip's return, his purpose of mak- 
ing war upon the English monarch in Normandy and in his other French 
dominions. To avoid this scandalous suspicion, the king of France, be- 
fore his departure for Europe, pledged himself to king Richard not to 
attack any of his dominions, nor dispossess any of his vassals, while he 
was absent in the Crusade. Yet when Philip passed through Rome on 
his return home, he made as much interest as he could with the reign- 
ing Pope (Celestine III.) that he might be absolved firom the oath. 
Philip, whose first wife had died during his absence in the Holy Land, 
had no sooner returned to his own kingdom, than he resolved to marry, 
for a second, Ingerberge, sister of Canute, king of Denmark. With this 
princess,' it was his object to obtain a transfer of all the claims of her 
family (descended of the famous Canute, king of England), and obtain 
thereby a pretext for invading England. The plans of Philip however 
did not succeed. He then sought a new and discreditable channel 
through which to strike at his enemy. He formed a close alliance with 
John, brother of Richard, and youngest son of Henry II. In tlie mean 
time, while his European dominions were thus exposed to an ungrateful 
brother, and a faithless ally, Richard was rivalling in the Holy Land the 
imaginary actions of the champions of romance. He conquered Caesarea 
and Jaffa ; he drove Saladin before him for eleven days of continued 
battle. He defied armies with a handful of men, and challenged to 
combat, m his own person, an extended line of thousands, not one of 
whom dared quit their ranks to encounter him. In the midst of these 
wonders, Richard was recalled by the news of the intrigues of John and 
Philip. He embarked with precipitation, having patched up a hasty 
peace with Saladin, and leaving a name in the East, with which, long 
after, the Saracens were wont to upbraid a starting horse, demanding 

Relate the incidents sliovving the characters of Richard and Philip. Why did 
Philip reluni home ? What did he promise to Richard? Wliom did he wish to 
marry? Why? With whom did he Ibrm a close alhance ? Relate Richard's feats 
in Palestine. 



SICHARd's captivity.— his return to ENGLAND. 75 

if he thought the bush was king Richard that he sprang aside from it ! 
The king of England was shipwrecked on the coast of Dahnatia, and 
was betrayed into the hands of that very duke of Austria, whom he had 
offended by displacing his standard at Acre. Leopold meanly seized 
the opportunity of vengeance, and threw the unhappy prince into prison. 

His place of confinement was for some time kept concealed, and the 
manner of its discovery is worthy of mention. Richard was an admirer 
of music, and often practised it himself Blondel de Nesle, a favourite 
minstrel who had attended his person, devoted himself to discover the 
place of his confinement. He wandered in vain from castle to palace, 
till he learned that an almost inaccessible fortress, upon the Danube, 
was watched with peculiar strictness. The minstrel took his harp, and 
approaching as near the castle as he durst, he heard the captive soothing 
his imprisonment with music. Blondel touched his harp ; the prisoner 
heard and was silent: upon this the minstrel played the first part of an 
air known to the captive, who instantly played the second part, and 
thus the faithful servant obtained the certainty that the inmate of the 
castle was no other than his royal master. It is said that Blondel car- 
ried the news of Richard's imprisonment to the emperor, who compelled 
the duke of Austria to surrender his person ; and in fact he seems only 
to have considered how much money he could extort by having in his 
power one of the richest as well as most powerful sovereigns of Chris- 
tendom. Meantime the selfish king of France formed a fresh contract 
with prince John, by which the unnatural brother was to do all in his 
power to assert a claim to the crown of England, while Richard's 
French territories in Normandy and elsewhere, were to fall to Philip's 
share ; and that no form might be wanting, the French king denounced 
war against Richard, then a close prisoner. He then upon various pre- 
texts attacked the frontiers of Normandy, and made conquests there, 
bestowing towns on his ally John, or retaining them to himself at his 
pleasure ; saying that he did not attack Richard in breach of his oath, 
but in consequence of old causes of quarrel about his sister's portion. 

While Philip was thus employed, he received intelligence that the 
large ransom which the emperor had set on the freedom of Richard, had 
been defrayed by his subjects. He communicated the alarming news 
to his associate, John, in the expressive phrase, " Have a care of your- 
self- — the devil is loose .'" Philip knew that nothing would secure him 
from Richard's resentment, and therefore did not attempt to disguise 
his enmity. He openly invaded Normandy and besieged Verneuil; but 
fortune began to change on the part of his unnatural ally. Richard's 
unexpected arrival in England had entirely destroyed the treacherous 
schemes of John. That wicked prince now saw no means of security, 
except by abandoning king Philip, and throwing himself entirely upon 
his brother's clemency. The action by which he proposed to make 
these intentions manifest, was most atrocious. He invited to the castle 
of Evreux, in which Philip had invested him, those Norman chiefs and 
officers most favourable to the French king. Having received them 

What befel him on his way home ? Tell the story of Blondel and Richard. 
How did Philip injure Richard ? How was Richard liberated ? How did Philip 
proceed ? What atrocity did John commit? 



76 Richard's death — John's succession. 

hospitably, and feasted them royally, he surprised, seized upon, and 
murdered his guests, when unsuspicious of danger, and incapable of 
resistance. 

He cut off the heads of three hundred, and arranged them upon pikes 
around the castle ; but the king avenged this double treason as it 
deserved. He made a hasty march to Evreux, surprised John's English 
garrison, and put them to the sword ; laying in ashes the town itself, as 
the scene of such treachery. Richard advanced in his turn, and ob- 
tained some advantages, in which he took the whole treasure of the 
French king; but he was too much weakened by the rebellion of his 
vassals, to follow the war with his natural ardour. 

Truces therefore followed each other, until at length both princes 
began to entertain thoughts of a solid and lasting peace. But, ere it 
was concluded, a paltry enterprise cost Richard Coeur de Lion that life 
which he had risked in so many affairs of importance. One of his vas- 
sals had found a treasure in the earth upon his fief Richard demanded 
possession of it, as lord paramount. It was refused, and the king 
besieged the vassal's castle. He soon reduced it to extremity ; but an 
archer taking aim from the walls with a cross-bow, mortally wounded 
Cceur de Lion. The castle was surrendered ere the king had died of his 
wound. Richard commanded the archer to be brought before him, and 
demanded why he had sought his life ? " You slew," replied the archer, 
whose name was Bertram de Gurdun, " my father and my brother, and 
you were seeking my own life ; was I not right to prevent you if I could, 
by taking yours ]" The dying king acknowledged that he had reason 
for his conduct, and, forgiving his offence, commanded him to be dis- 
missed unharmed. But Richard's injunctions were not respected ; the 
captain of a band of his mercenaries put De Gurdun to death by flaying 
him alive, as the most cruel mode of revenging their monarch. 

Coeup de Lion was succeeded by the tyrant John. He was a bad 
father, a bad brother, a bad monarch, and a bad man; yet he was pre- 
ferred, notwithstanding the existence of Arthur, duke of Bretagne, who 
was son to the deceased Geofirey, the immediate younger brother of 
Richard, and the senior to John. But, though John became king of 
England, and duke of Normandy, great discontent prevailed in his 
French dominions, where the nobles and knights preferred the young 
prince Arthur. 

Philip of France now saw the moment was arrived when he might 
safely resume his labours to reunite, under the immediate sovereignty 
of the French crown, the great fiefs of Normandy, and the other pro- 
vinces of which the late Henry the Second of England had obtained 
possession by his marriage with Eleanor, the repudiated wife of Louis 
le Jeune. But, though the character and conduct of John were so un- 
popular, and this was a crisis so favourable and so important for extend- 
ing the authority of France, Philip was, by some domestic embarrass- 
ments, prevented for a time from profiting by it. He had lost his first 

How did Philip revenge it? What was done by Richard ? Relate the story of 
his death. Describe king John's character. Who was his rival ! What is said of 
Philip? 



77 




Philip TT. sends his Wife to a Convent. 



QUEEN INGERBERGE. 79 

wife, and took for his second the princess Ingerberge of Denmark, for 
the purpose of obtaining, as part of her fortune, the cession of the claims 
of the descendants of Canute to the throne of England, which might 
give him a pretence to disturb the heir of William the Conqueror now 
in possession of that kingdom. But being disappointed in this intended 
purpose, or displeased with his new bride, Philip sent the Danish prin- 
cess to a convent, before she had resided two days in his palace. He 
employed some of the subservient prelates about his court to discover 
cause for a divorce, which was easily found in the pretext of too close 
alliance in blood between the wedded parties, and a divorce took place 
within three years after their separation. 

The king then proposed marriage to Agnes de Merania, daughter to 
the duke of Dalmatia ; but the king of Denmark remonstrated at Rome, 
and the legate of the Pope declared formally that the marriage with 
Ingerberge remained binding. Philip followed his own will and mar- 
• ried Agnes ; the Pope laid his kingdom under an interdict, which pro- 
hibited the performance of divine service, for marriage, burial or bap- 
tism, occasioning thereby an inexpressible confusion in the country. 
The king revenged himself on the clergy ; he seized on their temporal 
effects and imprisoned the canons of the cathedrals. At length finding 
it difficult to remain in this state, he made a compromise with the Pope, 
and 'resolved to take back the Danish princess, as if of his own accord. 
He did so, and accordingly went to the convent where she resided, and 
taking her up behind him on the same steed, proceeded with her in that 
manner to Paris, where he publicly acknowledged her for his lawful 
wife. 

Ingerberge, with the same patient obedience which distinguished her 
while in the cloister, returned to the world, and lived and died blame- 
less, if not beloved. The fate of Agnes de Merania was less fortunate ; 
she died of a broken heart. John of England was likewise involved in 
difficulties by giving way to his pleasures. During a journey in Gui- 
enne he had become captivated with the charms of Isabel, the beautiful 
daughter of the Earl of Angouleme, who was affianced to Hugh le Brun, 
Earl de la Marche, and had been delivered up to her betrothed husband. 
But John, in order to obtain her, banished a wife to whom he had been 
united ten years; and by tempting the ambition of Ay mar, count of 
Angouleme, easily bribed him to accept a king for his son-in-law instead 
of a simple count (A. D. 1200). The Earl de la Marche, thus deprived 
of his betrothed, rose with his brother the Earl of Eu and other confe- 
derates in Guienne, into open rebellion. 

John, alarmed for the consequences, well knowing his own unpopu- 
larity, summoned together his English vassals, in order to put an end 
to the insurrection ere it spread wider ; but the great English barons, 
disliking either the cause, or the prince, or both, obeyed his summons 
but slowly. Arthur, the nephew of John, began now to complain that 
of his uncle Richard's succession, he had been suffered to retain only 
the Dukedom of Bretagne; which was the more unjust, as Richard, 

Relate the story of his quarrel with the Pope ? What is said of Ingerberge ? 
Of Agnes ? Relate the story of John and the Earl de la Marche ? 



80 MURDEK OF AI^THUE, 

when he went to the Holy Land, had designed Geoffrey his father as 
heir of all his French dominions. And Philip claiming, as liege lord, 
the right of deciding between John and his dissatisfied vassals, declared 
himself the protector of the insurgents of Guienne, and the asserter of 
the claims of Arthur. 

Both nations took arms, and on each side an ambitious and violent 
tempered woman urged the quarrel to extremity, Constance, the mo- 
ther of Arthur, and widow of his deceased father Geoffrey, incited her 
son to war against his uncle John by every argument in her power ; 
and on the other hand the dowager queen Eleanor, that celebrated heir- 
ess, who transferred Aquitaine from Louis le Jeune to Henry IL, was 
still alive, and violent in behalf of king John, whom she loved better 
than her other sons, because he resembled her more in disposition than 
any of his brothers. 

In 1202 hostilities commenced. Young Arthur took the field in the 
west of France with two hundred knights, and gained some success. 
But having, on his march through Poitou, received information that the 
dowager queen Eleanor, his own and his mother's personal enemy, was 
residing in the adjacent castle of Mirabel, he flew to invest it, and to 
make sure of her as a prisoner. The defence was vigorous, but at 
length the besiegers possessed themselves of the base-court, and were 
well-nigh carrying the great tower of the castle. The arrival of -king 
John with an army more numerous than that of his nephew, changed 
the scene. 

Arthur, with his little band, was completely routed, and all were 
either slain or made prisoners. Arthur himself, the comte de la Marche, 
and two hundred knights, were among the latter ; their fate is the 
most atrocious of John's cruelties. The minds of all men revolted 
against the author of this disgraceful abuse of victory ; the barons of 
Bretagne accused John before Philip of the crime of murdermg their 
duke, an^ his own nephew, in the person of Arthur. As the king of- 
England did not appear to answer to their charge, he was pronounced 
guilty, and all his dominions in Normandy declared forfeited to his liege 
lord the king of France. Thus was the crisis arrived, which Philip 
had long wished for : accordingly at th« head of his army he began to 
enforce the doom of forfeiture, or, in plain language, to conquer Nor- 
mandy. John never attempted to meet his enemies in the field, but 
remained at Rouen, till finding the storm of war approach he fled to 
England, leaving the dukedom of Normandy to its fate, which with most 
of the other English possessions in France, once more became the pro- 
perty of the French kings. 

The extreme indolence and imbecility of John, encouraged Philip of 
France to extend his views even beyond the limits of the French do- 
minions of the English prince ; and he resolved to attempt a second 
conquest of England, while its crown was on so unworthy a head. The 
success of William the Conqueror, under circumstances much less 

How did Philip take advantage of the insurrection ? Wliat princesses engaged 
in the quarrel ? When did the war commence? Relate the first proceeding of 
Artliur What was his fate ? How did Philip profit by John's crime ? 



CONTESTS BETWEEN PHILIP AND JOHN. 81 

favourable, was doubtless an encouraging example. But some appear- 
ance of justice was wanting for such an invasion, and Philip was not 
long in finding it. John with his usual rashness laid himself open to 
this, by a quarrel with the Pope, at any time a formidable adversary, 
but an irresistible one to a sovereign so universally detested. This dis- 
pute took place in 1202, concerning the election of an archbishop of 
Canterbury; and John continuing refractory, his Holiness laid England 
under an interdict, and soon after pronounced excommunication against 
its king, released his subjects from allegiance, and delivered up his 
kingdom to any one who should carry the doom of the pontiff into 
execution. Philip of France had the express charge of executing the 
sentence of deposition against his neighbour of England, and as a re-^ 
ward for his exertions, he was declared king of that country in his 
stead. He assembled a large army near Boulogne, where he had pro- 
vided seventeen hundred vessels to transport them to England. But 
notwithstanding the tyranny of John, the English in general resolved 
to resist the invasion. The alarm that the kingdom was in danger 
from foreigners drew together an immense army, and John selected 
sixty thousand well appointed troops, to oppose the French king ; he 
also by a secret treaty with Pandulph, the legate of the Pope, en- 
deavoured to avert the danger. In this he succeeded, but it was by an 
act of submission the most ignominious of which the world had yet 
seen an example. He resigned into the hands of the legate, as repre- 
senting his Holiness, his kingdoms of England and Ireland, engaging 
to hold them as vassal to the Pope, for the tribute of one thousand marks 
yearly. His Holiness then commanded Philip to forbear any enterprise 
against John of England. Philip remonstrated, but thought it best to 
comply, as he learned the existence of a confederacy against him, 
among the crown vassals of France. 

For this reason he turned the army designed for the invasion of 
England, against Ferrand, earl of Flanders, whose accession to such a 
league he had reason to apprehend. The great army of France, witli 
the king at its head, advanced into Flanders, taking some of the Earl's 
towns, and menacing the subjugation of his earldom. King John, at 
the entreaty of earl Ferrand, sent to his assistance a great fleet, under 
the command of a natural son of Richard Cceur de Lion, called Lokg- 
swoRD, Earl of Salisbury. The English had already acquired tha.t 
superiority at sea, which has been long one of their national charac- 
teristics. They defeated the French navy, though more numerous than 
their own ; destroying one hundred vessels, taking one hundred, and 
dispersing the rest of the fleet This caused Philip to retire into his 
own dominions. - 

The confederacy of the crov/n vassals assumed an alarming appear- 
ance ; the emperor Otho lent his active co-operation, and the earls of 
Flanders, Boulogne, Toulouse, and Auvergne, also joined the enemies 
of Philip, and visited England in 1214, to arrange the plan of the ensu- 
ing campaign^ It was agreed that France should be invaded on two 

What was done by the Pope ? By Philip? How did John escape from being 
dethroned? To what country did Philip then carry the war? Why? What 
ihllowed ? Who then leagued against Pliilip ? 



82 BATTLE OP BOUVINES. 

sides, but that the main attempt should be made by the emperor Otbo, 
and the warlike earls of Boulogne and Flanders, aided by a body of 
English troops, under the command of the celebrated Longsword of 
Salisbury. John himself was to cross the sea to La Rochelle, where 
he was to be joined by several English friends, as well as by the earls 
of Auvergne and Toulouse. 

The allies accordingly advanced at the head of a numerous army, 
amounting, it is said, to one hundred and fifty thousand men. They 
assembled at Peronne in Flanders, and moved south-westwards into 
France. The army of Philip was not so numerous, but it was composed 
of the flower of the French chivalry, the great princes of the blood 
royal, and such of the vassals of the crown as were not in the con- 
federacy. The monarch had also the advantage of the bravery of a 
valiant knight hospitaller, called Guerin. 

Philip directed his course towards Hainalt, but in their march, the 
French discovered the numerous squadrons of the emperor on the 
opposite bank of the Meuse, near Bouvines. There was a wooden 
bridge across the river. The French nobles on the one side, and the 
Germans on the other, rushed emulously to seize the passage ; but it 
was occupied by the former, and the French infantry passed under the 
oriflamme or banner of St. Denis, and formed on the western side of 
the river. The king had stretched liimself to repose under an ash-tree, 
when he was roused by the horsemen who came to apprise him that the 
battle had commenced. Philip arose, advanced to the front of his 
troops, and placing his crown on a portable altar : " My friends," said 
he to his troops, " it is for the crown of France you fight, and not for 
him, who has of late worn it. If you can rescue it from these men, 
who are combined to degrade and destroy it, the soldier who shall bear 
him best in his defence is, for my part, welcome to wear it as his own." 
He was ianswered with shouts of " long live king Philip ! the crown 
can befit no brow so well as his own." 

The army of the allies extended their wings, for the purpose of sur- 
rounding Philip's inferior numbers. But by this manoeuvre they lost 
the opportunity of charging the French troops, when only a part of 
their army had passed over, and in taking up their new ground, they 
exposed their faces to the sun, a great disadvantage which they felt se- 
verely during the whole action. The battle began with incredible fury, 
and was one of the most obstinate as well as most im.portant of those 
warlike times. 

At the onset the allies had some advantage, for a body of French 
light horse, which commenced the attack, were unable to withstand the 
weight and strength of the huge men and horses of the Flemish and 
German cavalry, to whom they were opposed. Philip was unhorsed, 
and his wars and life would have ended on the spot, but for the devoted 
loyalty of some knights, who threw themselves betwixt him and the 
Germans, almost at the same moment that the earl of Flanders, who 
had been at first victorious, was made prisoner, and his Flemish forces 

How many men hnd they ? Where did Philip meet them ? What is the story 
about the crowii? Describe the battle of Bouvines. 



THE ALBIGENSES. 83 

defeated, giving an opportunity for a large body of French -cavalry to 
press closely to the centre, vi'here their assistance was so much re- 
quired. The band who came to Philip's rescue, determined to attack 
the person of the emperor. They broke through his guard, took his 
banner and rushed on him. Peter de Mauvoisin seized his bridle ; 
William des Bakres grasped him round the body, and strove to pull 
him from his horse; Gerard de Trie attempted to strike him through 
with his sword, but only killed his horse. A furious charge of some 
Germans relieved their emperor, remounted him on a swift horse, and 
he left the conflict. " Let him go," said Philip, who witnessed his 
enemy's flight, "you will see no more of him to-day than his back!" 
Victory soon after declared for the French. 

Such was the celebrated battle of Bouvines, on the details of which 
the French historians dwell with national pride ; it lasted from noon till 
five in the evening. The earl of Boulogne, five earls of the highest 
rank and power, twenty-five nobles bearing banners, and nearly as 
many men of inferior rank, as there were soldiers in the conquering 
army, were made prisoners. After the victory, Philip caused the prin- 
cipal captives to be conducted through Paris in a sort of triumph, and 
in this procession, Renaud count of Boulogne, and Ferrand count of 
Flanders, were distinguished from the rest by being loaded with irons. 
The second part of the plan of the allies, which was to have depended 
on the exertions of king John of England, proved as inefficient as the 
others. He carried over an English army to La Rochelle, and received 
the homage of many barons of Poitou and Normandy. He took An- 
gers, the capital of Anjou, but did nothing further which could materi- 
ally favour the confederates. Philip having gained the battle of Bou- 
vines, marched into Poitou against John, but on receiving a present of 
sixty thousand pounds sterlmg, he granted the king of England a truce 
for the space of five years. During this time a remarkable series of 
events took place in France. The Popes, determined upon increasing 
their finances, and extending their power, had found great advantage 
in preaching the crusade as the indispensable duty of all Christians ; 
and at the same time, they found it very convenient to accept large 
sums of money from those princes, nobles, and individuals, who pre- 
ferred remaining at home, to look after their own affairs. 

These holy expeditions were originally confined to the recovery of 
Palestine. But the Popes thought it might be advantageous to extend 
the principles of the holy crusade to the extirpation of heresy at home. 
Accordingly the pontiffs assumed the privilege of commanding all 
Christian people to rise up in arms and do execution on such people or 
sects as they had been pleased to lay under the ban of excommunica- 
tion for heretical opinions, and employed them wherever they chose. 
Thus the southwest of France became the scene of horrible war. A 
numerous party of dissenters from the faith of Rome, had gradually ex- 
tended itself through the south of France. Raymond count of Tou- 
louse, within whose dominions these dissenters found refuge, was a 

How long did it last ? Who were made prisoners ? How were they treated ? 
How did Jolm of England obtain a peace ? Who were the Albigenses ? 



84 ENGLAND INVADED. 

princG of comprehensive understanding, and willing to grant liberty of 
conscience to all who lived under his sway. Against these unfortunate 
Albigenses, as they were called, and their protector Raymond, Pope 
Innocent III. proclaimed a crusade, enjoining those persons who should 
embrace so pious a labour, to convert them by the Gospel or by the 
sword. A numerous host was assembled under the name of the army 
of the Church, They were commanded by Simon de Montfort, a brave, 
but cruel leader, and a bigot. Under his command, these crusaders in^^ 
dulged in all the licenses of war against the peaceful Albigenses, pre- 
tending that they were extirpating evil, and thereby rendering accept- 
able service to God and to the Christian Church. Philip of France did 
not himself embrace the crusade against the Albigenses, but his son, 
prince Louis, joined it, against his father's will. Count Raymond de- 
fended himself until after the battle of Bouvines, by which time Simon 
de Montfort had obtained such a superiority over the Albigenses, that 
he rather regarded the engagement of Louis in the crusade as a matter 
of jealousy than as affording support and assistance. 

Prince Louis v/as soon after summoned by his father to a more hon- 
ourable v/arfare, which had for its object the conquest of England and 
the destruction of John's power. 

John's tyranny increased as his power grew weaker, and he enraged 
his subjects by attempting to maintain it in the most obnoxious manner. 
The barons and the people were equally discontented by his violent and 
oppressive exactions and claims, and took the field against him in such 
force, as obliged him to submit to their just demands, and he signed, at 
Runnamede, the celebrated grant of privileges called Magna Charta^ 
which the English still consider the bulwark of their liberties. But no 
sooner did he imagine himself capable of resistance than he requested 
the Pope to annul the Great Charter, as extorted by force, and to ex- 
commufiicate the barons and all who favoured them. 

John also received powerful assistance from a large army of merce- 
nary soldiers, whom he landed at Dover, and with whom he took Ro- 
chester. The barons then threw themselves into the arms of the king 
of France, rather than submit to the tyrant John. Two of their number 
were dispatched to the court of the king Philip, offering to transfer their 
own allegiance, and the kingdom of England, to his eldest son Louis, on 
condition of his bringing an army to their assistance. 

The tempting offer prevailed on Philip and his son, the former in 
secret, and the latter openly, to accept the proposal of the barons, and 
to send an army of seven thousand men to reinforce the insurgent party 
in England; while Louis himself prepared a stronger expedition. 

On the 23d of May (A. D. 1216), Louis arrived before Sandwich with 
a fleet of six hundred sail ; he disembarked a great number of land 
forces, marched towards London, and took Rochester in his way. The 
legate of the Pope strove in vain to defend John by the fulminations of 
the Church. These were addressed both against Philip and his son 
Louis; but as the former disavowed in public the proceedings of his son. 

Describe the crusade against them. What were tlie circumstances attending the 
grant of Mai^na Ch:irta ? ITow did John proceed after granting it ? Who aided the 
bunms m revolting against John l With what Ibrce I How was he opposed? 



DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH. 85 

the excommunication fell only on Louis, who received from his father, 
secretly, the encouragement and supplies which were openly refused to 
him. The curse of Rome did not greatly affect prince Louis, while the 
barons of England continued to espouse his cause ; he marched success- 
fully through England, and reduced the whole southern part of that 
kingdom. But he met a check before the castle of Dover, which was 
defended with obstinacy and success by Hubert de Burgh and a select 
garrison. 

Although success seemed almost impossible, Louis continued the 
siege, and the time which he wasted before Dover gave John leisure 
once more to collect his forces, and afforded opportunity for sowing dis- 
sensions among the allies of prince Louis. Windsor Castle was besieged 
with no more success than Dover. 

John was once more at the head of a formidable army, and the English 
barons began to quit Louis, on finding that he treated the French with 
undue partiality, and afforded little countenance to the lords of England 
who had joined him. A report was also spread,, that the viscount de 
Melun had on his death-bed confessed, that Louis meant to put to death, 
as traitors to their natural monarch, the barons who had joined his party. 
In consequence of this, several nobles deserted Louis, and returned to 
their allegiance. The country was relieved from this state of anarchy 
by the sudden death of John at Newark-upon-Trent, at the age only of 
forty-nine years, on the 19th of October, 1216. Henry IIL, eldest son 
and successor of John, was only in his tenth year, so that the assistance 
of a guardian or protector was absolutely necessary. 

The earl of Pembroke, a wise and brave nobleman, was chosen to this 
eniinent and difficult.oflice. His first act was to renew the Great Char- 
ter of the liberties, and in consequence the barons began to throng back 
to the English standard, and to desert that of France. Louis, who had 
received considerable reinforcements from his father, v/as reluctant to 
abandon his enterprise, and for some time persevered in his attempts on 
Dover Castle, but without any success. Other indecisive sieges and 
skirmishes took place, until, at length, in the beginning of the summer 
of 1217, the French army, under, the earLof Perche, was totally defeated 
at Lincoln. This closed the struggle, and a treaty of peace was con- 
cluded betwixt Louis and the lord protector Pembroke. 

Louis resigned his pretensions to the crown of England, and engaged 
to make intercession with his father for the restoration of Normandy, 
and other places, conquered by Philip from king John ; and if his inter- 
cession should prove ineffectual, the prince bound himself to restore 
these dominions, when he himself should succeed to the throne of 
France. He then withdrew with all his forces, leaving the young 
prince Henry peacefully seated upon the throne ; and found in his own 
country another strife. This was the renewed war against the unfor- 
tunate Albigenses in the south of France, who had rushed to arms, 
restored count Raymond to the government of his fief, and became 

What part of England did he reduce ? What places held out against him ? Who 
deserted him ? When did John die ? Who succeeded him ? At what age ? Who 
was regent ? What did he renew ? How was the war termmaled ? What terms 
did Louis make? What war was he obliged to conduct in France? 



86 SIEGE OF AVIGNON. 

again formidable. Simon de Montfort hastened to attack them, while 
an assembly of the Church, held at Mantes, again determined on preach- 
ing the crusade. The tyrannical Simon fell before the city of Toulouse ; 
and his wife and family were made prisoners by the Albigenses. Philip, 
who dared not refuse the Pope and clergy, reluctantly permitted his 
son Loais, with an army of fifteen thousand men, to take the cross 
against the heretics in the south of France. But the prince carried on 
the war with much coldness, and was at length recalled by his father, 
who died soon after of a fever at Mantes, in July 1223. 

He was the greatest prince that had worn the French crown since 
the days of Charlemagne. He left the dominions of France nearly 
doubled in extent by his valour and prudence, and greatly improved in 
w^ealth, strength, and convenience, by the formation of roads, the forti- 
fication of defenceless towns, by public works and other national im- 
provements. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
LOUIS VIII. (1223). 



Philip Augustus was succeeded by his eldest son Louis VIIL, called, 
from his personal courage, the Lion. He had scarcely assumed the 
throne, when an ambassador from Henry III. demanded the restoration 
of the provinces, according to the terms of the treaty made and sworn 
to, when he left England in 1217. Louis however was determined not 
to comply ; alleging that the English themselves had not fulfilled the 
treaty of" 1217. Instead therefore of restoring Normandy, he invaded 
and besieged those"towns which tlie English still possessed in Poitou ; 
and Niort, St. Jean d'Angely, and finally La Rochelle itself, fell into his 
hands. Bordeaux, and the country beyond the Garonne, was the only 
part of their ample dominions within France which still remained sub- 
ject to the English. 

The Gascons were favourable to the English cause ; they were also 
flattered by the proposal to place them immediately under the command 
of a prince of the English blood royal ; and they prepared so formidably 
to resist the invasion of Louis, that lie thought prudent to consent to a 
truce for three years (A. D. 1224). 

He was now urged by the Pope's legate to renew the crusade against 
the southern heretics, but in consenting to do so, failed not to insure to 
himself the principal advantage of it. Having thus provided for his 
own interest, the king assembled an army of fifty thousand men ; and 
with this force he besieged Avignon, where the citizens fought with the 
utmost obstinacy, and the besiegers lost above two thousand men, 

When did Philip Augustus die? What were his character and works? Who 
succeeded PhiUp ? What wo* ho called? What caused a war in Normandv? 
What ended it? When? Give an account of the preparations for the crusaile 
agaiiiit the Albigen^ei. 'I'he siege of Avignon. 



BLANCHE OF CASTILE. 87 

amongst whom was that celebrated corate de St. Paul who had acquired 
so much honour at the battle of Bouvines. At length they were com- 
pelled to a capitulation, the terms of which were uncommonly severe. 
The Roman Catholic religion was to be practised exclusively, and two 
hundred hostages, sons of the most wealthy inhabitants, were demanded ; 
some of those who had conducted the defence were hanged, the fortifi- 
cations were dismantled, and three hundred of the best houses were 
levelled with the ground, to complete the humiliation of the city. 

After Avignon had surrendered, Louis proposed to march against 
Toulouse, to inflict a similar vengeance on that town ; his army had 
however suffered so much, that he was compelled to grant them some 
relaxation. But Louis had already performed his last campaign ; he was 
attacked at Montpensier, by a fever of which he died the 12th Novem- 
ber (A. D. 1226), having reigned only four years, and being in the very 
prime of his manhood. He was succeeded by his eldest son, also a 
Louis, who was afterwards distinguished by the title of Saint. 

The queen Blanche, relict of the deceased monarch, acted as regent 
for her son. She was eldest daughter of Alphonso, king of Castile, by 
his wife Eleanor, daughter of that celebrated Eleanor of Aquitaine by 
her second marriage with Henry XL of England. 

Louis VIIL, who had great confidence in her wisdom, had named her 
regent of France until his son should attain the years of majority. 



CHAPTER XVL 
LOUIS IX., CALLED SAINT LOUIS (1226). 

The occurrence of a minority seemed, to the ambitious petty princes, 
a time highly fitted for recovering, by force if necessary, the indepen- 
dence of which they had been deprived. The nobles who engaged in 
a conspiracy against the queen regent were Raymond of Toulouse ; 
Philip of Boulogne, brother of the late king, who claimed the regency ; 
the powerful counts Thibault of Champagne ; Hugh de la Marche ; 
Hugh de St. Paul ; Simon de Ponthieu, and Peter duke of Bretagne. 

Their object was to deprive the king of all power beyond that of a 
president of the Cour pUniere and general of the armies of the king- 
dom. Blanche, ere the confederates had matured their plan, suddenly 
attacked Raymond of Toulouse : reduced him to ask .terms ; to bind 
himself to renounce the heretical opinions of the Albigenses, and to 
give his daughter and heiress in marriage to Alphonso her fourth son ; 
thus securing these rich territories to the royal family. The next part 
of her undertaking was the subjugation of the confederates, and, by a 
little well-timed flattery, she soon separated Thibault count of Cham- 
pagne from his associates, and secured his interest to herself. He gave 

When did Louis die ? Who succeeded him ? Who was regent? Who formed 
a conspiracy against her? Hovi' did Blanche defeat the conspiracy? 



88 LOUIS ASSUMES THE CROSS. 

her private intimation of a project of the malcontents to seize her per- 
son daring her journey from Orleans to Paris ; and indeed was go faith- 
ful to her interest as to communicate most of their plans, which were 
thus easily counteracted. But the count was near paying dearly his 
attachment to the queen regent. He was attacked by the whole con- 
federacy who determined to expel him from his country, and confer 
Champagne on the queen of Cyprus, who had some claim to it as heiress 
of Thibault's elder brother. 

Blanche was so far grateful, that she caused her son to march to his 
succour and repel the attack upon his territories. Yet she sought to 
gain something for the crown, by this ; and therefore intimated to the 
count, that to defray the expenses of the war, and compensate the claims 
of his niece, it would be expedient that he should sell to the young 
king his territories of Blois, Chartres, Chateaudun and Sancerre. 

The count made some remonstrances, but she reproached him with 
disobedience and ingratitude, and the crown of France acquired the ter- 
ritory. Some of the French courtiers grew impatient of the absurd 
pretensions of Thibault to the queen's favour. They instigated Robert 
of Artois, one of the sons of Louis VIII., to affront the count of Cham- 
pagne by throwing a soft cream cheese in his face. Thibault could not 
support the ridicule that this caused ; he retired from court and endea- 
voured to find consolation in the favour of the muses. He afterwards 
became king of Navarre, and obtained the reputation of a wise and 
accomplished sovereign. Blanche by her firm government not only 
maintained the authority of the throne, but augmented it considerably 
during her regency. 

She was in no hurry to surrender to her son the supreme power, 
which she had administrated so well; nor did the dutiful Louis, though 
now approaching his twenty-first year, seem impatient to take it upon 
himself. Blanche's jealousy of those of her own sex who approached 
her son and sought to please him, was not perhaps an extraordinary, 
though an inconvenient excess of maternal fondness. But she was cer- 
tainly unreasonable in extending her jealousy to her son's wife, a beau- 
tiful woman, named Margaret, one of the daughters of Raymond Be- 
renger, count of Provence. 

The servants of the household had orders, when the king and queen 
were in private together, to whip the dogs, which were about the royal 
apartments, so that the cries of the animals might give the queen- 
mother a hint to intrude on the retirement of her son and his wife. 
The young queen reproached her mother-in-law with this jealous vigi- 
lance ; and when Blanche caused Louis to be removed from the apart- 
ment in which his wife was sick, she said : " You will not let me speak 
with my husband whether living or dying." 

Louis being attacked with illness, was so alarmed that he w^as easily 
induced to follow the prevailing error of the time, and assume the cross; 
he received it from the hands of the archbishop of Paris, and made a 

How did she repay Thibault? How was he driven from the court ? How did 
Blanche govern the kingdom ? How d'u] she treat her son ? What induced Louis 
to engage in a crusade i Who opposed it ? 



LOUIS AT DAMIETTA. 89 

solemn vow to march in person against the enemies of Christianity, 
with a royal army, if he recovered. 

It was in vain that the wisest of his ministers, and even his mother, 
pointed out to him the disasters his predecessors had sustained by such 
imprudent engagements ; he insisted on the necessity of fulfilling his 
vow, and would only agree to wait at home, the time necessary for the 
arrangement of the affairs of his kingdom during his absence. 

He obtained from the Church a grant of the tenth of their revenues 
to assist in defraying the expenses of his undertaking, and prevailed on 
many of the nobility, and among these the count of Marclie and the 
duke of Bretagne, to accompany him to the East. The preparations 
were arrested by the arrival at the court, of Richard, brother of Henry 
III. of England, with an embassy from that power. 

" Sir king of France," said this distinguished envoy, " you cannot 
undertake to wage a holy war until you have done justice to your bro- 
ther of England, bereft as he has been by your father of the provinces 
belonging to him in France." Louis was so much startled at this objec- 
tion to his purpose, that he referred the case to a conclave of Norman 
bishops. They gave their opinion that no restitution should be made, 
and Louis declined the request. 

The king now prepared for his crusade, and departed, taking with 
him his young wife ; Robert and Charles, his two brothers, also accom- 
panied him in his expedition. Passing down the Rhone from Lyons, he 
embarked on the shores of the Mediterranean, and landed at Cyprus on 
the 25th of September, 1274. His army amounted to about fifty thou- 
sand men, of which it was computed there were ten thousand cavalry ; 
and they disembarked in safety before the town of Damietta. Here 
Louis, who with all his superstition displayed great personal worth and 
bravery, sprung into the sea in complete armour, and waded ashore 
among the foremost, with the oriflamme displayed, in spite of twenty 
thousand men, by whom the shore and city of Damietta were defended. 

The invaders seized upon, and garrisoned the city. Louis took into 
his custody the magazines which they had acquired, but the subordinate 
leaders of the crusade were dissatisfied, contending, that the share of 
the commander-in-chief was limited to one third of the spoil, and thnt 
the rest belonged to his associates ; this introduced dissatisfaction and 
insubordination among the feudal lords, and greatly affected Louis's au- 
thority. The crusaders remained in Damietta, waiting the abatement 
of the inundation of the Nile, and the arrival of Alphonso, count of 
Poitiers. This prince arrived at length, and Louis resolved to sally 
from the city for the purpose of marching to Grand Cairo. But the 
river Nile interrupted their march, and they were opposed at every 
turn by the light-armed Saracens, who destroyed the military engines 
by which they endeavoured to cover their passage. 

The count of Artois found at length the means of passing the river, 
and, with imprudent valour, instead of halting till he was supported. 

Why ? How did he prepare for it ? How were the preparations arrested ? What 
was the result ? Where did St. Louis embark ? When did he reach Cyprus ? 
With what force ? What feat was done by St. Louis at Damietta ? What followed 
the taking of Damietta? 

8* 



90 ST. LOUIS A CAPTIVE. 

rushed on with two thousand horse, and forced his way into the village 
of Massoura, where the Saracens gave themselves up for lost. But 
their troops being rallied by a valiant soldier, the advanced party of the 
count of Artois were enclosed within the village. The inhabitants 
then poured on them stones, javelins, arrows, scaiding water, and all 
sorts of missiles from the roofs of the houses. 

Most of the Christians were slain, and the count of Artois, after 
having for some time defended himself in one of the houses, at length 
fell fighting valiantly. The king wept bitterly the loss of his brother, 
and the French determined to avenge him : they fought bravely and 
slew numbers of the enemy. The losses of the Saracens were easily 
replaced ; but every soldier that fell on the part of the French, was an 
irreparable loss. The invaders were thus soon reduced to a defensive 
warfare ; and this was sustained at the greatest disadvantage. 

Fatal diseases broke out in the army, and the condition of the Chris- 
tians became so desperate that Louis resolved to retreat to Damietta, 
and call in all the outposts and vanguard of his army, which were on 
their march to Cairo. In the latter part of his retreat, the Turks came 
so close upon him, that Sir Geoffrey de Sergines had the greatest diffi- 
culty to drive them off. In the mean time most of those wlio had fled, 
rather than retreated, towards Damietta, had already been slaughtered 
by the Saracens, or had delivered themselves up to captivity. The 
king, with his remaining brother, many princes of the blood, nobles, 
and the wreck of this army, fell captives into the hands of the enemy, 
and were treated with the utmost severity. 

Upon the surrender of the prisoners, their only choice was that of 
embracing the Moslem faith, or instant death.. When, however, it was 
discovered that most of them could pay a high ransom, the Turks be- 
came more desirous of lucre than of blood, and exchanged for ransom 
those who were able to comply with their demands. The king of 
France tol/i the sultan, that if a reasonable price was set upon his 
liberty and on that of the remainder of his army, he would write to the 
queen, who was still at Damietta, to pay it. The Saracens (who admit 
no women to their councils) asked why the queen should be consulted. 
"Have I not reason?" answered Louis; "is she hot my wife, and my 
companion 1" His ransom was fixed by the sultan at a million of golden 
bezants — equal to five hundred thousand livres. " I will cheerfully pay 
that," said Louis, " for the ransom of my army ; and for my own I will 
surrender the town of Damietta to the sultan, for my rank is too high 
to be valued in money." The sultan was pleased, and with a generous 
emulation exclaimed, " He is a right generous Frank ; tell him I abate 
one fifth, and that four hundred thousand livres shall be sufiicient," He 
also sent garments for the king's use. But while the sultan Touran- 
Shah was thus disposing of the fate of another, he little knew how near 
he approached to his own. The discontent of his body-guard or Mame- 
hikes had risen to the highest. They broke out into insurrection, set 
fire to his pavilion and cut the unfortunate prince to pieces. Having 

Describe Ihe battle of Massoura. Who fell? What other disasters followed? 
Tell the story of llie king's ransom. What belel the sultan? 



92 




The Queen of Louis IX. at Damietta. 



rtJlH aUEEN OP ST. LOUIS AT DAMIETTA. 93 

committed this murder, they came before the king and the French cap- 
tives, with their bloody battle-axes and sabres in their hands. " What 
will you give rae," said the foremost assassin, who was yet streaming 
with the blood of Touran-Shah, " who have slain your greatest enemy T" 
Louis returned no answer, but all the French expected to be immedi- 
ately massacred : however, they offered new conditions somewhat simi- 
lar to those of the murdered sultan, but stipulating also that the king 
should take an oath to renounce his baptism and his faith. 

Louis answered, that he would rather die a good Christian than pur- 
chase his life by a sinful oath. In the meantime the scene suddenly 
changed ; a mirthful sound of trumpets and kettle-drums was heard 
before the tent, and king Louis was invited by the chiefs of the late 
conspiracy to become their sultan. This proposal was not, however, 
seriously insisted on ; on the contrary, some of the leading emirs were 
of opinion that to atone for the slaughter of Touran-Shah, a good Ma- 
hometan, it was their duty to put to death Saint Louis and his fol- 
lowers, the mortal enemies of their prophet Mahomet, and of his re- 
ligion. 

At length a treaty for ransom was carried into execution. The queen 
of France, who, as I before informed you, had accompanied her husband 
in this calamitous expedition, was enclosed with the remnant of the 
Crusaders that held out at Damietta. She was informed that the good 
king her husband had been made prisoner, which so troubled her mind, 
that she made an officer watch at the foot of her bed all night without 
sleeping. This person was at least eighty years old. When the queen 
was sick, she ordered every one, except this ancient knight, to leave 
her chamber ; she then cast herself at his feet and requested that he 
would grant her a boon. The knight promised compliance ; the queen 
said, " I request, on the oath you have sworn, that should the Saracens 
storm this town, and take it, you will cut off my head rather than I 
should fall into their power." He replied that he would. She shortly 
after had a son (in the town of Damietta), who was named John, and 
his surname Tristran (i. e. the Sad), because he was born in misery and 
poverty. 

After suffering many hardships, Louis, his queen, and his lords, were 
at length permitted to embark for Acre with the remnant of the army. 
When he arrived on ground where he might consider himself free, he 
again became inspired with the rash quixotry of his crusade, forgetting 
that he owed a still more pressing duty to his kingdom, where general 
confusion prevailed. His mother, queen Blanche, who acted as regent, 
had lost in some degree that strength of mind which distinguished her 
during her son's minority. The intestine disorders were likely to be 
increased by a war with England upon the expiration of the truce be- 
tween these countries. In the mean time the regent mother became 
so afflicted on hearing of her son's misfortunes, that she retired into a 
convent and died of melancholy. On receiving these sad tidings, Louis 
yielded to necessity, and prepared to return to France. After a voyage 
of ten weeks he arrived upon the coast of Provence. 

What curious events in regard to Louis ensued ? What story is related of his 
queen? What is said of Louis ? Of his mother? Of his return home ? 



94 EQUITABLE GOVERNMENT OF ST. LOUIS. 

CHAPTER XVII. 
DEATH OF SAINT LOUIS IN A CRUSADE AGAINST TUNIS. 

King Louis, upon his return to France, hastened to make peace with 
England, and received Henry III. at Paris, with sumptuous hospitality. 
" I would willingly restore the provinces," said the king to the English 
monarch, " but my peers and barons will not consent." King Henry 
therefore exchanged his claims on Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, and 
Poitou, for some trifling territories adjacent to Gascony. Louis now 
reigned in peace and honour ; from the universal confidence reposed in 
his justice and equity, both his own subjects and strangers frequently 
referred to him matters which were in debate between them. He en- 
deavoured to maintain the tranquillity of the kingdom, by the suppres- 
sion of the numerous private quarrels among the great vassals of the 
crown ; and greatly curbed the right which they assumed, of taking 
the field like independent sovereigns. These great lords, overawed by 
the reputation and power of the king, were compelled to bring their 
contests before his tribunal, instead of deciding them by arms. Thus 
St. Louis studied to make his people happy, while his own demeanour 
indicated too fully that he had at his heart the rooted feeling of having 
sustained defeat and disgrace in Egypt, where he had most hoped to 
deserve success, and to acquire glory. His desire for the general peace 
of Europe, and his efforts to appease the quarrels of the great, incurred 
the censure of some of his statesmen, who wished to persuade him 
that he would act with more policy by suffering their discords to aug- 
ment ; and even by aggravating their quarrels, than by endeavouring 
to end them. In like manner, his advisers upbraided him that he 
neglected to take advantage of the weakness of Henry III., to wrest 
from the English the considerable share of the French territory which 
they still retained in Gascony. 

While thus behaving with moderation and generosity to his neigh- 
bours, and even to his enemies, Louis performed in his own person the 
duty of a judge, and was often found, like the kings of Judah, sitting 
at the gates of his palace, to render justice indifferently to all those 
who presented themselves to ask it of him. 

By his attention to the public good, as well in making laws, as in 
enforcing them, the king was deservedly beloved, and proved that no- 
thing could carry an empire to such a height of peace and happiness, 
as the generous and worthy conduct of a prince. St. Louis however 
still retained the hope of being more successful in a new crusade than 
in that in which he had encountered defeat and captivity ; and after 
sixteen years, he again prepared a fleet and an army to invade the 
territories of a Mahometan prince. 

How did St. Louis settle affairs with the king of England ? How did he govera 
the kingdom? What was the character of his foreign policy ? How did he ad- 
minister justice ? 



DEATH OF ST. LOUIS. 95 

. The city of Tunis, upon the coast of Africa, was the destined object 
of the expedition. Louis conceived that the king of Tunis was willing 
to turn Christian, and become his ally and vassal : he hoped to make the 
conversion of this prince, the means of extending Christianity over 
Egypt and Palestine also. It was in the year 1270, that he gave this 
new proof of his superstition. He carried with him, as before, the 
princes of his own family, and many of his principal vassals. The most 
remarkable of these was Edward, prince of Wales, who seized that 
opportunity to exhibit fresh proofs of the courage and military talent 
which he had displayed in his own country during the civil conflicts 
called the barons' wars. He was followed by a body of select troops, 
and distinguished himself greatly. This eighth and last crusade was 
in its outset assailed by a tempest, and the fleet sustained great loss. 
In three days however Louis assembled the greater part of his arma- 
ment before Tunis : but the monarch of that country received him at 
the head of a large army, and defended his city against the invaders. 
Louis landed and obtained some successes ; but the Crusaders had no 
sooner formed a close siege around the town, than diseases broke out in 
their army ; the want of provisions increased the contagion, and.con- 
stant skirmishing with the Moors added the waste of the sword to'that 
of epidemic disease. -;..' 

The infection approached the person and family of the king;' hil 
eldest son died of fever, and his youngest son Tristran, who received 
birth in Damietta, during the miseries of his father's first crusade, ex- 
pired amidst the ruin of his second attempt. Louis himself, attacked 
by the fever which had robbed him of two sons, called to his pillow 
Philip, his eldest remaining child, and exhausted what remained of life 
and strength in giving him his parting instructions, and soon closed his 
eyes for ever ; he was succeeded by Philip III. called the Bold. 

When the eighth crusade had nearly come to a melancholy termina- 
tion, by the death of Louis and his two sons, Charles, king of the Sicilies, 
appeared before Tunis with a fleet loaded with provisions and reinforce- 
ment. The fresh troops advanced to support the siege, but the Arabs 
checked their approach by putting in motion the sands of the desert, 
which driven by a violent wind upon the strangers, prevented their 
approach. Upon a second occasion, however, the natives were drawn 
into an ambuscade, and suflfered severely by the swords of the Europeans. 
The sultan began now to propose terms of submission, agreeing to pay 
a ransom to the king of the Sicilies, of forty thousand crowns a year, to 
defray the expense of the war, to allow the preaching of religion in his 
dominions, with some other concessions. Of all the princes in the 
crusade, Edward I. of England alone refused to consent to this treaty. 
He professed his determination to proceed to Palestine, where Acre, the 
last of the fortresses which owned the Christian authority, was on the 
point of surrendering to the Saracens. "I will enter Acre," said young 
Edward, "though only Fowin my groom should follow me." He went 

Against whom did he project a crusade ? Who accompanied St. Louis ? What 
befel the fleet? What happened on landing? Who died? Who succeeded St. 
Louis? Who reheved the French crusaders in Tunis ? What ensued? What was 
done by the French and Sicilians ? By Edward L ? 



96 DEATH OF QUEEN ISABEL. 

forward accordingly with his little band of English, but with little suc- 
cess. His expedition is chiefly famed for the romantic courage of the 
princess Eleanor, who attended him, and is said to have sucked the 
wound which her husband received from an envenomed weapon, and to 
have thus endangered her own life to save his. After the treaty of 
Tunis, the kings of France and Sicily returned to their dominions. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
PHILIP ni. CALLED THE BOLD (1270). 

Philip was eager to take possession of the crown, which had fallen 
to him by inheritance : Charles was desirous to enjoy that which he had 
obtained by conquest. Philip endeavoured to distinguish himself by 
enforcing the wise laws of king Louis, his father, for preventing private 
wars among his vassals ; but his most remarkable adventures occurred 
in his own family, and were of a very distressing nature. 

In his return through Italy, he had the misfortune to lose his beautiful 
wife, Isabel, who had followed him to the crusade. In the course of the 
journey, the queen was thrown from her horse, and being near her con- 
finement, her death was the consequence. She left four sons, Louis, 
who died by poison; Philip, who reigned after his father; Charles of 
Valois, father of the branch from which sprang the French kings of 
that house ; and Robert, who died young. 

After the king's return to France, the council advised him to marry, 
and he took, as his second wife, Mary, the daugliter of Henry, the sixth 
duke of Brabant. She bore a son the year after her marriage, and 
within si^ years afterwards two daughters. The king was much attach- 
ed to his wife, a beautiful and affectionate woman, but jealousy and dis- 
cord were at last sown between them, by a person of low origin, named 
Pierre de la Brosse, who had originally appeared at court in the capacity 
of a ba^rber. 

Upon the death of St. Louis, Philip advanced La Brosse, who seems 
to have been a man of talent, to the rank of royal chamberlain, and 
employed him in the administration of some important affairs. He is 
said to have abused the king's kindness and betrayed his trust by unjust 
oppression. He was aware that the penetration of the young queen 
discovered his un worthiness, and he took every opportunity to prejudice 
Philip against her, by intimating from time to time that his consort was 
actuated by the general dislike, commonly imputed to stepmothers, 
against the king's cl'^h-en by his former marriage. About this time 
Louis, his eldest son by his first wife, heir to the crown of France, was 
suddenly seized by a malignant fever, which hurried him to his grave. 
— The fatal disorder was attended with violent derangement in his 
stomach, livid spots upon his person, and other symptoms, which were 
ascribed to poison. 

What is said of Philip ? Of Isabel ? Ilcr sons ? Of Mary of Brabant ? Of La 
Brosse ? Of the pr; ice ? 



SICILIAN VESPERS. 97 

La Brosse spread rumours tending to fix the crime of poisoning upon 
queen Mary ; the queen on the contrary accused La Brosse of having 
administered poison to the young prince for the purpose of charging it 
against her. John of Brabant, the brother of the queen, hearing of the 
affair, came immediately to the court of France, and demanded that her 
honour should be fully cleared, and offered to combat any who should 
impeach it. The ruin of La Brosse soon followed ; for, being found 
guilty of treason, he was disgraced and afterwards ignominiously exe- 
cuted. The queen was declared innocent, to the great joy of the nation. 

The affairs of England and Italy were the next objects of importance 
during the reign of Philip the Bold ; Edward I. had long been busied in 
reducing his English subjects to obedience, and having perfectly suc- 
ceeded, he now became desirous of asserting his claim to the English 
territories in France. To accomplish this purpose, he resided three 
years in France, from June 1286 to August 1289. 

The bloody wars which long deluged Europe with slaughter, in order 
to decide the possession of Naples and Sicily, continued to agitate 
France during this reign. 

Charles of Anjou, king of Sicily, exercised, by commission from the 
Pope, the high offices of vicar of the Empire, and senator of Rome. He 
was also the reigning monarch of the Two Sicilies, and invested with 
the nominal sovereignty of the kingdom of Jerusalem, though that king- 
dom had ceased to exist. The vices of the king of Sicily were yet more 
hurtful to him than the displeasure of the Pope ; and the luxury, inso- 
lence, and cruelty, by which his French troops provoked the general 
resentment of the Sicilians, were still more fatal to his cause. 

Incensed at the liberties the French took with their women, the Si- 
cilians formed a scheme of insurrection. This was the famous and ter- 
rible Sicilian Vespers. 

The plot was, that at the tolling of the evening bell for prayers on 
Easter-day (1282), the islanders should rush suddenly upon the French, 
and put them to death without exception. This was executed with such 
general fury, that in less than two hours a massacre had taken place of 
all the French, whatever their age, sex, or condition. 

The kingdom of France was thrilled with horror, and at the same 
time seized with a desire of revenge for so dreadful a slaughter- Num- 
bers of the best warriors in that kingdom offered their services to Charles 
of Anjou, to avenge the death of their murdered countrymen ; and Pedro 
of Arragon, finding his adherents unable to cope with the French chi- 
valry, was reduced to evade the combat by a device. He sent a chal- 
lenge to Charles of Anjou, defying him to meet him with a hundred 
knights, and decide their differences by the issue of that encounter. 

Bordeaux, as a neutral territory, was assigned a'?, the place of combat. 
Charles immediately accepted the defiance, and went to the place ap- 
pointed with his hundred attendants. But Pedro did not intend to en- 
counter him and his knights, as his challenge implied. He indeed kept 

How was La Brosse ruined ? What was intended by Edward I. ? How did he 
prepare for it? What wars raged in this reign? What is said of Charles of Anjou ? 
Describe the affair of the Sicilian Vespers. Who threatened Pedro with war? 
By what stratagem did he escape ? 

9 •- 



98 VICTORY OF DORIA. 

his appointment ; but he appeared in disguise, and avoided the combat, 
alleging that, as Philip, king of France, was present in Bordeaux at the 
time, it was no longer an equal place of meeting for a prince who came 
to fight with that king's uncle. 

Charles of Anjou had left in Sicily his son, a high-spirited young man, 
called Charles the Lame, from an accident v/hich had befallen him in 
his youth. He commanded as regent in his father's absence. This 
youth, although warned by his father to act upon the defensive, rashly 
encountered the fleet of Arragon, commanded by the famous Andrew 
Doria, the ally of Don Pedro. Charles was defeated and taken by this 
celebrated mariner, and Charles of Anjou his father, giving way to grief, 
died at the age of sixty-six. 

In the mean time, the king of France, to whom the Pope had assigned 
Arragon, transferable to any of his sons whom he should name, con- 
veyed the right thus vested in him to his third son, Charles of Valois, 
and prepared with a strong army and fleet to put him in possession of 
his new dominions. 

For this purpose, Philip the Hardy invaded Catalonia, and besieged 
Gerona. Pedro of Arragon came to its relief with a small army. Rollo 
of Nesle, constable of France, drew the Spanish prince into an ambus- 
cade by showing only a small part of his forces. In this skirmish Pedro 
was nearly made prisoner, and was obliged to cut the reins of his horse, 
in order to escape the grasp of a French man-at-arms. He escaped 
from the field, but died in consequence of a wound and the fever which 
ensued. 

This success was overbalanced by an advantage obtained by Doria 
over the French fleet. Many of Philip's vessels were sunk and de- 
stroyed, and as these were loaded with provisions for the use of the army 
besieging Gerona, the sufferings of the French became so extreme that 
it was impossible for them to remain longer before the place. The siege 
was therefore raised, and the king, whose hop^s were thus disappointed, 
withdrew to Perpignan, where he shortly after died of chagriur^ This 
prince, although not a man of shining talent, bears nevertheless a fair 
character in the French annals ; and is said to have been particularly 
scrupulous in the mode of raising the revenue from his people, who 
never complained of the sums exacted, as they were levied with so 
much fairness and attention to the convenience of the indigent. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

PHILIP IV. CALLED THE FAIR (1285). 

Philip IV., who succeeded his father, was surnamed le Bel, or the 
Fair, from the beauty of his countenance, and the majesty of his per- 

What was done by Andrew Doria ? By the lung of France ? By Pedro ? What 
caused Pedro's death? What happened at sea? At Gerona? At Perpignan? 
Who was now king of France ? 



WAR WITH ENGLAND. 99 

son. His father left him an exhausted treasury and a ruinous and unsuc- 
cessful v/ar undertaken against Spain. Edward I. of England now 
demanded the territory of Xaintonge, a district adjacent to the English 
possessions in Guienne. Philip saw the necessity of acceding, and 
Edward became a party to a negotiation by which the quarrel with Cas- 
tile was in some degree accommodated, and the peace of Europe 
restored. 

But in consequence of an accidental quarrel between a Norman and 
a Gascon sailor, which led to a battle betwixt their two vessels, the king 
of France issued a summons, commanding Edward, as a peer of that 
kingdom, to appear before the French parliament under pain of forfeit- 
ing his fiefs in that kingdom. Edward, desirous to avoid a rupture, 
offered to yield to the French six castles in Guienne, for security that 
he would make amends should he be found in the wrong ; and also as 
pledges that he would meet the king of France and discuss their differ- 
ence in ah amicable conference. 

Philip solemnly agreed to this arrangement, but broke it nevertheless 
soon after. He took possession of the six fortresses, but only made use 
of them to facilitate the conquest of the English province of Gascony. 
A French fleet and flying army was even employed to attack the coasts 
of England, by which Kent Wcis invaded and Dover burnt Notwith- 
standing these provocations, the king of England was unwilling to 
engage in a war with France at this moment He had been anxiously 
employed, during the last years of the thirteenth century, in attempting 
to possess himself of the sovereignty of Scotland. Edward I. was 
induced therefore to trust to some favourable opportunity of revenge 
against France. 

In the month of August 1297, however, it seemed to him that Scot- 
land was so effectually pacified, as to permit a great eflfbrt for the chas- 
tisement of France. For this object Edward transported to Flanders a 
gallant army of English, and formed a confederacy with several princes. 
The allies were the emperor of Germany, the dukes of Austria and 
Brabant, the earl of Flanders, and other German and Flemish princes, 
who engaged, for considerable sums of money to be paid by the king 
of England, to assemble a combined army for the invasion of France. 

Philip, who beheld himself threatened by a formidable confederacy, 
contrived to break up the alliance by the distribution of large sums 
among its members. Yet the king retained a strong feeling of revenge 
against Guy de Dampierre, the earl of Flanders, and marched against 
him with a great force. At the same time he put in motion the nume- 
rous malcontents of the great towns in Flanders, the inhabitants of 
which were extremely mutinous, and much disposed to insurrection. 

By foreign invasion and domestic insurrection, the earl was likely to 
be ruined, had not Edward of England moved to his assistance, and 
saved him from the revenge of France. No battle of consequence 
ensued ; Edward was disgusted with the great expense which he had 

What was the state of the kingdom ? How was peace restored ? What renewed 
the war ? What was done by Philip ? By Edward ? Who were his allies ? How 
did Philip foil Edward 1 Whom did he attack ? Who defended Guy ? 



100 THE KNIGHTS OP THE TEMPLE. 

bestowed, to no purpose, upon -his German confederates ; and Philip, 
who had encountered more difficulties than he expected in his campaign 
in Flanders, was also desirous of accommodation. A mutual friend to 
both monarchs offered his services as mediator. This was Charles, king 
of Sicily, called Charles the Lame. 

He was cousin german to the king of France, being the son of his 
uncle, Charles of Anjou. But the Pope was finally admitted as media- 
tor, instead of the king of Sicily, and he discharged his duty impar- 
tially. Edward made his homage for Gascony (A. D. 1307), and France 
and England entered into a mutual alliance against any one who should 
disturb the one king or the other in any way. Boniface, who had had 
a quarrel with 'Philip, resumed his attacks. He attempted to fix upon 
him a certain Bernard Laiseti, for whom, without the king's consent, 
he had created a bishopric. He sent this man, in the character of a 
legate, to Philip, who in requital turned him out of his dominions. The 
Pope had already made public his determination to excommunicate the 
king of France ; and the bull was prepared for that purpose. To avert 
this sentence, Philip sent into Italy two determined agents, who having* 
levied a strong body of partisans, seized upon the person of the Pope, 
then residing at his native town in Tuscany, insulted, and even buffeted 
him, and would most probably have taken his life, had he not been res- 
cued by a party of the people, after several days of confinement. The 
disgrace which he had undergone so affected his spirits that he died 
furiously mad. 

Such was the miserable end of a Pontiff, who is said to have entered 
the Church like a fox, ruled it like a lion, and died like a dog. Philip 
the Fair, thus freed from his opponent, took especial care to establish a 
close and powerful interest with the two succeeding Popes, and pre- 
vailed so far as to induce them to reside at Avignon in France. 

In 131j3, there occurred an important historical transaction, respect- 
ing which it is difficult to form a judgment. I have already told you 
that there existed two great fraternities of military monks, both of 
which were formed in the Holy Land : the one had for its object the 
defence of the Temple ; the other was associated as knights Hospital- 
lers, or knights of St. John ; and both held out, as tlieir principal object, 
THE DEFENCE OF PALESTINE. Both these Communities, but in a par- 
ticular degree the Templars, fell under public obloquy, on account of 
their immense wealth, and the lax morals of individual members. Two 
brethren of the order of the Temple had been condemned by their 
grand master, or president, to perpetual imprisonment. These crimin- 
als, desperate at their rigorous sentence, intimated, that if released 
from imprisonment, they could disclose to the French government 
some circumstances of a mysterious and highly criminal nature, con- 
cerning their order. These men being examined, said that the secret 
rules of the order of the Temple were contrary to the Christian re- 
ligion, to decency, and to morality. One hundred and forty of the 

How were mtittei-s adjusted ? What brought on a quarrel with the Pope ? How 
was it ended ? What was done by the two succeeding Popes ? What occurred in 
13J0? 



DEATH OF PHILIP THE PAIR. 101 

knights were arrested at once within the kingdom of France ; and 
many of them being tortured, confessed charges similar to those averred 
by the knights who lodged the original accusation ; but a very con- 
siderable number of the imprisoned Templars, firmly asserted their 
innocence. " We are but men," said they, "and as such have our fail- 
ings; but to be guilty of what is imputed to us, we must be fiends." 
The Pope himself held a council on this affair, in which the dissolution 
of the order was finally resolved, but it was only in France that its 
members suffered condemnation to death. 

Fifty or sixty of them maintained their innocence with their last 
breath, and citing their persecutors to answer before God for the cruel- 
ties exercised upon them. Jacques de Molay, grand master of the 
order, with two of its other principal officers, were brought before the 
king of France and the Pope, and examined on the several points of 
the charge : at first they admitted some part of the accusation against 
them, and denied others ; upon which partial confession they were con- 
demned to be burnt to death by a slow fire. When brought to execu- 
tion, after retracting what they had formerly uttered, they declared like 
the rest who were execiited, that they had individually committed sins 
incident to mortals, but that their order had never been stained by any 
such iniquities as had been alleged against them. 

The procedure against this celebrated society added considerably to 
the odiiim with which the latter days of Philip the Fair were clouded. 
His Flemish war had exhausted his revenues, and he saw that the pub- 
lic dissatisfaction would render it difficult to raise funds for its renewal. 
The terrors, therefore, of a war for which he could not provide, and 
which was greatly unpopular in France, increased his embarrassment ; 
his spirits sunk beneath such a load of evils and disgrace, and he died 
a prey to melancholy. 

Philip the Fair left three sons, Louis, Philip, and Charles, each of 
whom ascended the throne in turn, but all died without issue. 



CHAPTER XX. 

LOUIS X., PHILIP V. AND CHARLES IV. (1314 to 1327). 

Louis X., whom the French called Hutin, next ascended the throne 
(1314). The first point he had to consider, was the bringing to account 
the favourite of the deceased monarch, Enguerrand de Marigny, who 
had been the agent of Philip's exactions, and was supposed to have 
peculated enormously, as the money passed through his hands. He 
was called before the princes of the blood, and closely interrogated by 
the brother of the late king, Charles, count of Valois. " Where," said 
the count, " are the treasures of the late king ]" " You shall have a 

What is related of Jacques de Molay ? What caused Philip's death ? Who sue? 
ceeded him? What story is told of Enguerrand de Marigny? 



102 PHILIP THE LONG. 

good account of them," answered the prisoner haughtily. " Give it 
me then on the spot," said the prince. " Since you press me to speak," 
replied Marigny, "I have given you one half, and with the other half 
I have paid his majesty's debts." " You He !" replied the prince in a 
rage. " You lie yourself!" replied Marigny. 

In consequence of this insulting and intemperate conduct, he was ar- 
rested and brought to trial for embezzlement of the royal revenue, and 
for abuse of his late master's favour. The new king was present at 
this trial, and looked on the accused with some compassion, which the 
other princes mterpreting into a desire to screen Marigny, determined 
to charge him and his wife with having trafficked with a sorcerer, and 
an old woman deemed a witch, for the purpose of making waxen 
images representing the king and princes ; which, being dissolved at a 
slow fire, the strength and substance of those they resembled were ex- 
pected to decay in the same proportion. The king, believing in a prac- 
tice which was at that time an object of general credulity, was startled 
at the accusation, gave up Marigny to the vengeance of his uncle the 
count of Valois, and the unfortunate favourite was hanged. 

The sorcerer and the witch shared his fate, and his wife was con- 
demned to perpetual imprisonment. 

Louis now began to think of a second marriage, and in order to re- 
move the impediment offered by his first wife Margaret being in exist- 
ence, he caused her to be privately strangled. She had been impri- 
soned some time on a charge of infidelity. He then selected for his 
consort, Clemence, daughter of Charles Martel, king of Hungary 
(A. D. 1315) : the royal couple were crowned at Rheims ; but the fes- 
tivities were scarcely over when Louis was obliged to think of war. 

The same count Robert of Flanders, who had been so troublesome to 
Philip the Fair, was still in open insurrection, and it was necessary to 
send an army against him, although the public finances were in bad 
order. The young king was much embarrassed, but he was not des- 
tined long to remain so. He died in 1316, the year after his marriage 
and the first of his reign. Four months after his death, his queen gave 
birth to a prince who lived only a few days, Philip, the brother of 
Louis Hutin, who had been regent since the king's death, was now de- 
clared king, and began his reign by extending his influence among the 
nobility. He gave in marriage to some of the most powerful, his four 
daughters, and with them considerable appanages, thereby attaching 
them to his interest. One of these, was Louis of Flanders, whose 
family had given so much trouble to Philip the Fair, and had threat- 
ened the short reign of Louis Hutin. Philip V., called the Long, re- 
newed the league with Scotland, and was upon good terms with Edward 
II. of England, his brother-in-law. But unhappily like his great an- 
cestor St. Louis, he marred his good policy by thinking it indispensable 
to undertake a crusade as soon as opportunity should permit, and began 
already to prepare for it. The people of France were stirred up by 
friars and enthusiasts, who pretended to have discovered by inspiration 

Who was Louis's second wife ? How was the first treated ? Who threatened 
war? When did Louis die? Who succeeded him? For what did Philip the 
Long prepare? 



MASSACRE OF THE JEWS.. 103 

that it was the divine will to rescue Palestine, not by the means of the 
great and powerful of the world, but by shepherds and peasants. This 
doctrine becoming general, bands of the lowest and most ignorant per- 
sons enrolled themselves under various leaders, and traversed the- 
country, under the name of Pastoureaux. 

Unfortunately they soon found an opportunity of exercising their ig- 
norant brutality without quitting France. The Jews, who had been 
persecuted and banished by Philip the Fair, and restored by his succes- 
sor, once again became the objects of popular hatred, by a new accusa- 
tion, adapted to the credulity of an ignorant age. A pestilential or 
epidemic disease was at this time ravaging France, and it was said that 
the Jews had accepted a bribe from the Mahometan princes, and had 
undertaken to poison all the wells, fountains, and rivers : the charge of 
participation in this crime was extended to a set of unfortunate wretches 
who were rather objects of compassion than suspicion. These were 
persons afflicted with leprosy, who were obliged to live in hospitals 
apart from the rest of mankind ; they were said to have joined with 
the Jews in the iniquitous project. The accusation was easily and 
greedily swallowed by the populace, who, being already in arms, turned 
them against the Jews and the lepers, and tore them to pieces, or burnt 
them alive without scruple. Five hundred Jews bravely defended a 
castle (into which they had thrown themselves) with stones, arrows, 
and javelins, and other missiles, till having no weapons left, they 
lanched their living children from the walls on the heads of their as- 
sailants, and finally put each other to the sword, rather than die by the 
hands of the multitude. 

At Vitry, also, fifty Jews distinguished themselves by a similar act 
of horrible despair ; they chose with composure two of their number, a 
young woman, and an old man, to put the rest of their company to 
death. When all the others were slain, the old man received his death 
from the hand of the female, who then threw herself from the walls of 
the place ; but not being dead she was barbarously thrown by the be- 
siegers into the fire which consumed the dead bodies. The king was 
obliged to submit to the popular prejudice. He banished the Jews, and 
by proclamation confined the lepers to the respective hospitals, under . 
the penalty of being burnt alive. The royal troops were next em- 
ployed in putting down the Pastoureaux, and other tumultuous assem- 
blies, and restoring the peace of the kingdom. Philip the Long died 
in 1322, having reigned five years, and was succeeded by his brother 
Charles the Fair. He became desirous of ridding himself of his 
wife Blanche (imprisoned for infidelity) without resorting to the extre- 
mities adopted by Louis Hutin, and obtained permission from Rome to 
divorce himself from his faithless consort. He shortly after espoused 
Margaret, daughter of Henry of Luxembourg, seventh emperor of 
Germany of that name : Margaret was killed by the overturning of her 
carriage. 

As his third wife Charles the Fair married, with dispensation, a cou- 

Who were his soldiers i Whom did the Pastoureaux persecute ? Describe their 
proceedings. What is said of the king ? The royal troops ? When did Philip die ? 
Who succeeded him ? What is said of Charles's v/ives ? 



104 EDWARD RENDERS HOMAGE TO PHILIP. 

sin of his own, who survived him many years. She had no male of£- 
spring-. 

The aftairs of England becoming rather perplexed now attracted 
Charles's attention. There had been for a long time a friendly under- 
standing betwixt the courts of England and France ; but in 1322, some 
disturbances occurred in Guienne, which made CJiarles the Fair demand 
in more peremptory terms tlian usual, that the king of England should 
appear and render homage for the possessions he still occupied in France. 
Edward II. enjoined his wife (sister of the French king) to go to France 
and negotiate between her brother and her husband ; but the presence 
of Edward himself was still required by Charles, as a condition of the 
restoration of Guienne. Again Isabella interposed her mediation, and 
procured the consent of France for the prince of Wales to perform the 
homage instead of the king. This was regularly transacted in the 
course of a few days. 

Charles the Fair began suddenly to feel himself in an infirm state, 
and soon after died at Bois de Vincennes (1327), and the descendants 
of Hugo Capet in the first line were extinct by his death. 



CHAPTER XXI. 
PHILIP VI. OF VALOIS (1327). 



Philip of Valois succeeded Charles the Fair, and soon after his 
accession summoned Edward III. of England to do homage for his 
French possessions. He resolved to submit to the summons for the 
present. > But to avoid the inference that, by rendering this homage, he 
acknowledged the right of Philip of Valois as king of France, Edward, 
in his own secret council, entered a solemn protest, that such homage 
as he should at this time pay to Philip, should not prejudice his own 
hereditary right to the kingdom of France in virtue of his mother Isa- 
bella. He then went to France with a noble train of knights and 
peers, where Philip met him with a retinue suitable to the occasion. 
The meeting of the sovereigns was in the cathedral of Amiens. The 
English king appeared in a robe of crimson velvet embroidered with 
leopards of gold. He wore a royal crown on his head, was girt with 
his sword, and had golden spurs on his heels. 

The king of France received him seated in a chair before which a 
cushion was laid for the king of England to kneel upon. As he refused 
that act of humiliation, the grand cliamberlain of France insisted, that 
he should lay aside the regal ornaments, and that the homage should be 
rendered kneeling, bare-headed, and without sword, girdle, or spurs. 
Edward was extremely angry at being obliged to divest himself in such 

What passed between him and Edward II. ? When did Charles die ? Who were 
thus extinct? Who succeeded Charles the Fair ? Relate the account of Edward 
III.'s visit to France and interview with Philip of Valois. 



NAVAL VICTORY OF THE ENGLISH. 105 

an assembly of the usual marlis of his rank. However, prudence de- 
cided him to submit, and it is probable his hatred to Philip of Valois 
was greatly increased by being subjected to this public indignity. The 
ceremony being performed, and the English possessions in France so 
far secured, Edward returned to England and resumed the government 
which had been entrusted to his mother. 

In the year 1337, Robert, count of Artois, having been disgraced, fled 
to England in disguise, and being a near relation of Edward, received 
welcome and protection ; from his politic character he soon found the 
way to the king's ear, and employed his influence to persuade Edward 
of the practicability of asserting his title to the crown of France in 
right of his mother. Edward, flattered by the hopes excited by so wise 
a counsellor, and not having forgotten the scene of humiliation at Amiens, 
resolved on a war with France. 

Philip, to face this gathering storm, took the field, with an army of 
one hundred thousand men, but cautiously avoided a combat, which 
might have cost him his throne. The summer passed away without any 
remarkable event. 

In the spring of 1340 Edward went to England to hold his parliament 
for the purpose of requiring new subsidies from his subjects ; and having 
settled his affairs at home he resolved to return to the continent, although 
the French fleet, amounting to four hundred sail, with forty thousand 
men on board, was prepared to intercept him on the sea. These vessels 
were hired from the republic of Genoa, and manned- with sailors from 
that state. On the 22d June 1340, the king of England set sail with 
two hundred and sixty vessels well manned with archers and men-at- 
arms. Other vessels conveyed English ladies and gentlewomen who 
went over to pay their respects to the queen, whom Edward had left 
behind him in Flanders, as a pledge of his return. When the English 
approached the harbour of Sluyse, where they intended to disembark, 
they beheld it occupied b)'' so many vessels, that the masts and streamers 
seemed like a forest. The king demanded of the master of his vessel 
" what he conceived this navy to be." " They are," said the master, 
" ships fitted out by the French king to despoil your majesty's coasts, 
and interrupt your commerce, and now it is their object to take your 
person." " Ha !" said the king, " I have long desired to meet them, 
and now I will make them dearly pay the displeasures they have done 
me." 

The king as admiral commanded his fleet to cast anchor for the night. 
On the next morning having arranged the vessels bearing the ladies, 
at such a distance, that they might see the conflict without danger, 
Edward with his ships of war took a course which was calculated to 
gain the wind of the enemy. This conduct seemed to the French to 
evince timidity on the part of Edward, and induced them to leave the 
harbour to attack the English fleet. The battle commenced at ten in 
the morning, and lasted nine hours, during which the Genoese sailors^ 
by whom the French ships were manned, plied the English with their 

Who instigated Edward to make war with France? What was the number of 
Philip's army ? Ilis fleet > Give an account of the sea-fight ? 



106 JANE DE MONTFORT. 

tiross-bows, to which they replied with the long-bow, a much more effec- 
tive weapon, and which had been a favourite in England ever since the 
Norman conquest. When the missiles on each side were expended, 
the ships approached close to each other, and grappled or fastened them- 
selves to their opponents by means of iron chains. The men thus fought 
on the decks hand to hand with their swords and axes as if on shore. 
The English, animated by the presence and example of Edward, obtain- 
ed, after a bloody battle, a most complete victory, in consequence of 
which the whole French navy was taken, dispersed, or destroyed ; and 
king Edward achieved his landing with glory. 

He then besieged Tournay, a strong town, which was valiantly de- 
fended by a French garrison. He was however obliged to abandon the 
siege, and scarcely knowing how to bring the war to a conclusion, he 
dispatched a challenge defying Philip to end the controversy in single 
combat, or by a hundred champions on each side. Philip answered, 
that a king could not accept a challenge from a vassal. 

When matters were in this critical posture before Tournay, the Pope 
urged strongly the necessity of peace betwixt the two Christian monarchs, 
in order that they might engage in a joint enterprise to the Holy Land. 
A truce was therefore concluded in September 1340, to continue for one 
year, and at the expiration of that time it was renewed, as the only way 
of avoiding the revival of a war which endangered Christendom. 

Thus stood matters, when an unexpected event revived Edward's 
hopes of obtaining possession of the crown of France. John de Mont- 
fbrt laid claim to the duchy of Bretagne ; but as the daughter of an elder 
brother was alive, she was declared by the French king the lawful 
heiress. She was married to Charles of Blois, who took up arms to 
deprive De Montfort of the towns and castles he had seized. During 
the struggle, De Montfort was taken prisoner, but his wife courageously 
determined still to resist the French arms. 

Jane de Montfort was a woman of extraordinary ability and courage. 
Few men of her day equalled her in the knowledge of military affairs, 
or in the quickness and decision with which she applied this knowledge. 
Having taken possession of Hennebon, a town of great strength, she 
defended it with extraordinary watchfulness and vigour. During the 
siege, perceiving a part of the enemy's camp unguarded, she sallied out 
at the head of three hundred men, and set fire to it. On the panic sub- 
siding which her attack had created, she was pursued, but although 
many of her soldiers were taken, she herself escaped, and returned to 
Hennebon at the end of five days, heading a body of six hundred men, 
and fearlessly facing the enemy, she entered the town in triumph. 

The king of England sent an army to assist the Bretons, and enabled 
them to prolong the war, which was prosecuted with various success, in 
a series of battles unnecessary to relate, as they are so numerous, they 
would only burthen your memory. 

At length Edward III. in 1344 put himself at the head of a consider- 

VVliat town did Edward III. besiege ? When was a truce concluded? Who 
claimed Rretagne ? What took place in consequence ? What were the character 
and conduct ol' Jane de Montfort? 



107 




Jane de Montfort returning to Hennebon. 



CAPTURE OF CAEN, 109 

able army, which he pretended was designed for prosecuting the war in 
Gascony. But instead of holding this course, the king steered straight 
to the coast of Normandy, and landed at La Hogue. 

Upon information that his ancient enemy had invaded France, Philip 
collected the whole force of his kingdom, together with those of his 
allies, John of Luxembourg ; the old king of Bohemia, with his son 
Charles, Emperor elect of Germany ; the duke of Lorraine ; John of 
Hainault, once the king of England's ally ; Louis earl of Flanders, and 
Jacques, titular king of Majorca. The titles of some of these princes 
were more considerable than their power, but still by their assistance, 
and that of his own liege-men and great vassals, Philip found himself at 
the head of a powerful and gallant army, which emboldened him to 
swear resolutely that the king of England should not return to his own 
country without battle, in which he should be sufficiently punished for 
the slaughter, depredation, and violence which he was now exercising 
in the kingdom of France. The greater part of Philip's army was 
assembled at St. Denis, close to Paris ; but the king himself, assuming 
the command of such forces as could be got presently in readiness, 
moved down the Seine to defend Rouen, the capital of Normandy, which 
was threatened by the English. 

Edward divided his strong army into three bodies ; the first of which 
he commanded himself; the second under the earl of Warwick; and the 
third commanded by Sir Godfrey of Harcourt, who was the king's ad- 
viser as principal marshal of his army during all this expedition. 

The city of Caen, full of merchandise and wealth of every kind, was 
carried by storm, after such a resistance, that Edward, in resentment, 
would have burnt the place to the ground, had not Sir Godfrey Har- 
court's intercession deterred him from such violence. While Normandy 
was sustaining this severe treatment from the land forces in the interior, 
the English fleet was as busily employed plundering, destroying, and 
burning the sea-port towns on the coast, with the shipping which they 
contained. In this manner the English monarch ascended the left bank 
of the river Seine, with the project of assaulting Rouen. This was, 
however, prevented by the march of Philip of Valois to its relief. The 
river Seine now divided the two armies, and all bridges being broken 
down, neither party durst pass, lest, in the act of doing so, they should 
be taken at a disadvantage by that which held the opposite bank. 

In the mean time the citizens of Paris were in the utm.ost confusion, 
knowing the approach of the English army, and afraid of the terrors of 
military execution, attendant on the march of Edward, who was by no 
means famed for clemency. It soon, however, became plain that Ed- 
ward had no design against the French capital, for he made a sudden 
movement upon Poissy, repaired the bridge there, which had been but 
imperfectly destroyed, and, by a military manoeuvre, crossed the Seine, 
and moved eastward towards Flanders, thus extricating himself from the 
difficulty in which Philip conceived him to be involved. 

What was done by Edward in 1344? Who were Philip's allies ? What did he 
swear ? Who were Edward's chief officers ? What city did he take ? What one 
did he threaten ? What saved it ? Towards what country did he march? 

10 



110 THE BLACK PRINCE. 

When- the English monarch had attained the right bank of the Seine, 
the fires raised by his soldiery, in their destructive progress, alarmed 
the capital once more ; but the English, after defying the king of France 
to battle, departed towards Beauvais, where they burnt the suburbs. In 
this manner Edward pursued his course towards Flanders, closely fol- 
lowed by Philip and his army. The march of the English was inter- 
rupted by the deep river Somme, where every bridge had been destroy- 
ed ; but Edward had the satisfaction to learn, that during the ebb-tide, 
v»^hich happens twice in twelve hours, the river is so low that it may be 
passed with security at a certain ford. Edward drew his army thither, 
where, as the flood was still making', he was compelled to wait an hour 
or two. In the mean time Sir Gondemar de Fay, with his French forces 
amounting to near twelve thousand men, drew up on the opposite side 
of the river, resolved to dispute the passage. But the moment the ford 
was practicable, Edward plunged in, and calling aloud, " Let those who 
love me follow,''^ gained the opposite bank with his army in good order : 
notwithstanding a valiant opposition of the French who defended it. 

This was a very important manoeuvre on the part of the English, for 
the main army of Philip followed so close that part of Edward's rear- 
guard suffered from the van-guard of the French, before they could cross 
the river. Philip himself soon came up, and being greatly disappointed 
at finding how the English monarch had again extricated himself from 
the risk of being compelled to fight at a disadvantage, accused Sir Gon- 
demar de Fay of disloyalty and treason. 

By the advice of his best leaders, the French king agreed not to fol- 
low the English by the ford, lest they should turn back and attack him 
in the passage ; but, drawing off his army to Abbeville, he judged it bet- 
ter to secure the bridge over the Somme at that town, and spend a day 
there to refresh his troops, and give some forces which followed him 
time to come up. In the mean while Edward, being now on ground 
fitted for engaging the enemy, declared his purpose that he would pur- 
sue his retreat no farther; but fixght with Philip of Valois, whatever the 
difference of numbers might be. — " This country of Ponthieu was the 
just heritage of queen Eleanor, my mother," said he; "I now challenge 
it as my own, and may God defend the right!" 

The place where he made this declaration was open ground near the 
Forest of Cressy, a name which has been made memorable by the 
events of the following day. The army of the English was here drawn 
up in three divisions, to await the advance of the French. In the first 
was Edward, prince of Wales, called, from the colour of his armour, the 
Black Prince. He was now in his sixteenth year, but of strength and 
courage far beyond his age, and whose short life has made historians 
observe, that few characters have put more feats of heroism into the 
compass of so few years. The second battalion consisted of eight hun- 
dred men-at-arms, two thousand four hundred archers, and four thou- 
sand three hundred bill-men. The full amount of the English army was 
probably about thirty thousand men. These three divisions were drawn 

What happened at the river Somme? What followed? When did Edward 
make a stand ? With what declnration ? \Vhat was the place called ? Who com- 
manded the first division of the English army ? How many in all ? 



BATTLE OF CEESSY. Ill 

up in the order which tliey were to preserve in battle, and then desired 
to take refreshment and to sleep on their arms. The night was warm, 
and rendered repose acceptable and refreshing to troops fatigued with 
long marches and spare diet 

Next morning, the memorable 26th of August, 1346, the English 
army arose in good order, and awaited the French forces, which were 
some time in coming up. During this interval, to increase the enthu- 
siasm of his soldiers, Edward conferred the honour of knighthood on the 
prince of Wales, and a large band of noble youths, companions of the 
heir-apparent, who were expected so to behave in the conflict as to win 
their spurs ; that is, to show themselves worthy of the distinction they 
had received, by their admission into the order of chivalry, of which the 
spurs were an emblem. Philip, mustering his army at sunrise, led 
them forth from the town of Abbeville, where they had passed the night, 
and, with more haste than caution, advanced towards the English, a dis- 
tance of between three and four leagues. The march of this great army 
was hurried like a pursuit rather than a preparation for battle; yet all 
did not partake the sanguine hopes which dictated these hasty move- 
ments. _ A veteran German warrior recommended Philip to put off the 
battle till next morning, observing that the English had reposed in a 
position that they had deliberately chosen, and doubtless would not 
shrink from it without a desperate defence, while the French forces 
were fatigued with their hasty march from Abbeville. 

The king of France seemed disposed to follow this advice ; but fate 
had decreed otherwise. The troops, impatient to encounter their ene- 
mies, began brandishing their swords and cried out " to the attack," so 
that delay was impossible, and Philip was thus hurried forward to battle 
hj the want of discipline of his troops. He had divided his army into 
three bodies. The first was under the command of the king of Bohe- 
mia, seconded by his son Charles of Luxembourg, and of Charles, earl 
of Alen^on, the brother of king Philip, a brave but fiery and rash young 
cavalier. The Genoese cross-bowmen, fifteen thousand in number, were 
all placed in this first division. They were considered a match for the 
English archers, and it was hoped that their superior discharge in the 
commencement of the action, would clear the field of these formidable 
forces. They had also more than twenty-nine thousand men to support 
their bow-men. The second division was commanded by Philip him- 
self, with his broad banner displayed, surrounded by six thousand men- 
at-arms, and forty thousand foot. The king of Bohemia, who was old, 
and nearly blind, was afterwards posted in this second division, as well 
as James, the titular king of Majorca.— The rear division was led by 
the earl of Savoy, with five thousand lances, and twenty thousand foot. 
These large bodies appear to have been unequally divided, probably 
owing to the state of confusion into which the French army was thrown 
hy their too hasty advance. 

On the approach of the Genoese towards the English position, they 
gave signs of fatigue from marching three long' leagues, with their 

Wliere was the battle of Cressy fought ? What ceremony preceded it? What 
disadvantage had the French ? What kings and princes were in their army ? Add 
the numbers iu their three divisions, and tell the amount. 



112 BATTLE OF CRESSY. 

weighty cross-bows. When the word was given to begin the battle, in. 
the name of God and St. Dennis, the Italians answered by remonstrances, 
saying they had more need to rest than to fight that day. This enraged 
Alen9on, the commander of the division, who reiterated the order for 
instant attack, and the Genoese, approaching the prince of Wales's 
division, attempted to daunt the English archers by leaping and shout- 
ing : but they remained firm and steady. The Genoese advanced a 
second time without making any impression, and at last had recourse 
to their cross-bows ; but the English, who seemed only to wait for the 
commencement of hostilities, sfepped one pace forward, and then shot 
their arrows so closely together that it seemed as if it snowed. The 
volleys of the Genoese bolts were repaid with this incessant storm of 
arrows, and with such interest, that the Italians became unable to keep 
their ground. Their strings had been wetted by the rain, while those 
of the English had been secured in cases which they carried for the 
purpose. Finally there were eight or ten arrows returned, for every 
cross-bow shaft discharged ; and the Genoese, unable to withstand the 
English archers, lost heart, and cutting their strings, or throwing away 
their bows, they rushed back in confusion upon the rest of the van- 
guard, and especially upon the men-at-arms, who were designed to have 
supported them. 

The confusion thus occasioned in the French army became irre- 
trievable, as the recoil of the cross-bow-men prevented the advance of 
the knights and squires, upon whom the ultimate fate of the day 
depended. The king of France added to the confusion by calling on 
the cavalry to advance to the charge, without any regard to the cross- 
bow-men, who, now a confused multitude of fugitives, lay straight in the 
way of their advance. " Slay me these peasants," said he, " since they 
do but trouble us ;" and the men-at-arms advanced at full gallop on the 
unforturiate Italians, who were thus trodden down and killed, while the 
ranks of the cavalry were disordered by riding over them, before they 
could reach the enemy. 

The English archers kept pouring their shafts without a moment's 
intermission. Many of the bravest French knights lay stretched upon 
the plain, who might have been made captives with ease ; but Edward, 
to prevent his soldiers quitting their ranks, had strictly forbidden taking 
prisoners during the action. 

The courage of Alen^on, and the native bravery of the French cava- 
liers impelled them still forward, notwithstanding the loss occasioned 
by the horrible confusion. A part of them extricated themselves at 
length from the unfortunate Genoese, and pushed on along the line of 
English archers, by which they suffered great loss, until at length they 
arrived on their right flank, where the prince of Wales was placed at 
the head of his men-at-arms. By these the French were so roughly 
encountered that the greater part were beaten down and killed : but 
three squadrons of French and Germans rushed on with such impetu- 
osity in the san;ie direction, that they burst an opening for themselves 

Describe the content between the Genoese cross-bow-men and the English arch- 
ers. How did the kinp; of p' ranee treat the poor Genoese? What is said of the 
English archers ? Oi' Alenroa and the French cavaliers ? Of the prince of Wales ? 



BATTLE OF CEESSY. 113 

through the archers, who had but imperfect means of repelling horse, 
and dashed furiously up to the place where the gallant prince was sta- 
tioned. The earl of Warwick now became alarmed, for he concluded 
that the standards of the French king and his numerous army were fol- 
lowing close upon the new comers. 

In this belief Warwick and Chandos sent to Edward, requesting suc- 
cour for his valiant son. "Is he dead, wounded, or felled to the 
ground ?" said the king. " Not so, thank God," answered the messen- 
ger. " Then," replied Edward, " he needs no aid from me ; let him 
bear himself like a man, and this day show himself worthy of the 
knighthood conferred on him : in this battle he must win his spurs." 

In the mean time a strong detachment of men-at-arms sent by the 
earls of Arundel and Northampton, the commanders of the second di- 
vision, had relieved prince Edward from his temporary embarrassment ; 
and now the English archers, opening in the centre, their cavaliers 
rushed forward and encountered the French men-at-arms, who were 
soon in total confusion. The king of France himself continued to fight 
with the greatest valour, though wounded and dismounted, and would 
probably have died on the field, had not lord John of Hainalt led him 
off by force. Not more than sixty of his gallant army remained in at- 
tendance upon their sovereign, and with these he reached, after night- 
fall, the castle of Broye. When the warder demanded who he was : 
" I am," said the king, " the fortune of France." 

The most remarkable deatlr, among those of so many princes, was 
that of John of Bohemia ; he was, as I have told you, old, and almost 
blind, and consequently ill qualified to mix personally in the fight. 
When all seemed lost, the old man enquired after his son Charles, who 
was not to be found, having been compelled to fly from the field. He 
then said to the knights who attended him : " Sirs, ye are my knights 
and good liege-men, will ye conduct me so far into the battle, that I 
may strike one good stroke with my sword ere I die ]" Four faithful 
knights agreed to share their valiant master's death rather than leave 
him to perish alone ; they tied the old king's bridle to their own, and 
rushed into the middle of the fight, where they were found the next 
day, as they had fallen, with their horses' reins tied together. 

Thus ended this celebrated battle. There lay upon the field of 
Cressy two kings, eleven princes, eighty bannerets, one thousand two 
hundred knights, and more than thirty thousand private soldiers. 

The meeting of Edward and his son took place by torch-light after 
the battle, " Well have you won your spurs," said the brave king ; 
"persevere in the career which you have opened, and you will become 
the brightest honour of the noble kingdom of which you are the worthy 
heir." 

The battle of Cressy was one of the greatest victories ever gained 
by a king of England, and Edward prepared to avail himself of it, in a 
manner which should produce some permanent advantage. 

Of Warwick ? Of the king ? Who relieved Edward ? What is said of the 
king of France ? Of John of Bohemia ? How many liings, &c. were Idlled ? What 
IS said of Edward and his son ? Of the battle of Cressy ? 

10* 



114 SIEGE OF CALAIS, 

CHAPTER XXII. 

SIEGE OF CALAIS. (134G). 

Edward promised himself from his great victory to obtain a firm 
footing in Normandy. He resolved to lay siege to Calais, a sea-porl 
rich and strongly fortified, and immediately opposite to the coast of 
Eno-land : he therefore sat down before Calais with his large army 
shortly after the battle of Cressy, and proceeded by every means in his 
power to press the siege. 

Philip, in this emergency, endeavoured to prevail on the Scottish 
nation, and their king David IL, to declare war against England, by 
which means he hoped that Edward might be disturbed in his siege of 
Calais. The Scottish king and nation did so, and were defeated at the 
battle of Neville's Cross, near Durham (1346, October 17), and their 
king was made prisoner 

The siege of Calais continued; the French making many desperate 
efforts to relieve it, and particularly in furnishing provisions by sea. 
The low and swampy situations of the grounds about the town exposed 
the besiegers to great losses by sickness, and the garrison of Calais 
made many sallies, which were partially successful. During this time 
the embarrassment of Philip was augmented by the continued warfare 
in Bretagne ; but he exerted himself to obtain sufficient forces for the 
purpose of compelling Edward to raise the siege of Calais. 

The inhabitants of that city, when reduced to the last extremity, sent 
a messenger by sea, with letters to Philip, saying, that his good people 
of Calais, having eaten their horses, dogs and rats, had nothing to sub- 
sist upon, unless they fed upon each other, and conjured the king to 
succour them, otherwise the town must certainly be lost. The vessel 
bearing these letters was taken by the English, and Edward, having 
perused their contents, sent them on, with a taunting indorsement, ask- 
ing, " Why he came not to rescue his people of Calais, who were so 
distressed for his sake 1" 

Philip immediately assembled his army, and marched to attempt the 
relief of the besieged. Edward, considering the extreme importance 
of the place, and the trouble, expense and loss which it had cost him to 
bring it to its present reduced state, was determined that no effort of 
the king of France should avail. He strongly fortified the approaches 
on every point. Along the sea-shore, ships were placed, well supplied 
with artillery, and the shore was strongly defended. Similar defences 
were constructed on the causeway which approached the town, by the 
bridge of Neuillet. When Philip approached the neighbourhood of 
Calais with his immense host, he had the mortification to find that he 
could not attempt to enter the town on either side. After displaying 

What was done by Philip ? By the Scotch ? What befel the Scotch and their 
king ? What was done at Calais ? On the coast ? 



SURRENDER OF CALAIS. 115 

his great army at a place called Sandgate, in sight of Calais and its 
besiegers, he was compelled to withdraw without fighting. He endea- 
voured to rouse the pride of Edward by a letter defying him to leave 
his fortifications and fight in open field. Edward replied, " that he took 
no counsel from an adversary ; that he had been before Calais for more 
than a year, and had reduced the place to a state of extremity ; that he 
would not risk the advantage he had gained ; and if Philip wished a 
passage into the town, he might seek it as he best could." The hopes 
of the people of Calais had been at first strongly excited, when they 
beheld from the towers the numerous forces of France advancing to 
their relief; but when they saw the pennons of Philip's host retiring, 
they knew all hopes were at an end ; and having sufiiered to the last ex- 
tremity, they at length lowered the banner of France and displayed that 
of England in sign of submission. But their resistance had so exasperated 
Edward, that he would not receive their surrender unless they yielded 
implicitly to his mercy without any capitulation, either for their lives 
or property ; thia severity was objected to even by his own commanders. 

He then demanded that six of the chief burgesses of the town should 
come before him, bare-headed, bare-footed, and in their shirts, having 
halters around their necks, and bearing the keys of the town and castle 
of Calais, which were to be humbly surrendered to him. On these 
terms he promised mercy to the rest of the citizens. 

The conditions were read in the town, and caused a general lamenta- 
tion, for how could they hope to find six persons to devote themselves 
to such humiliation 1 But after some deliberation, one of the most con- 
siderable burgesses of the city addressed the assembly. His name, 
EusTACHE DE St. Pierre, ought uovcr to be forgotten while disinter- 
ested patriotism is held valuable among mankind. " He that shall con- 
tribute to save this fair town from sack and spoil," said this gallant man, 
*' though at the price of his own blood, shall doubtless deserve well of 
God, and of his country. I will be one who will offer my head to the 
king of England, "as a ransom for the inhabitants of Calais." The as- 
sembly were moved to tears and exclamations of gratitude. Five other 
burgesses caught emulation from the noble devotion of Eustache de St 
Pierre, and offered to partake with him the honourable peril which he 
had incurred. They quickly put themselves into the humiliating attire 
demanded by Edward, but which, in such a cause, was more honourable 
than the robes of the garter which that king had lately instituted. 
They were conducted before Edward, who looking on them with indig- 
nation, upbraided them with the losses he had sustained through their 
obstinacy, and commanded them to be beheaded. Sir Walter Mauny 
and the bravest English nobles and warriors interfered to prevent the 
execution, and even the prince of Wales failed to obtain their pardon. 

The queen Philippa waa the last resource of these unfortunate men. 
She had recently joined her husband's camp, and, when she saw that 
Edward was inflexible, she rose hastily from her seat, and knelt before 
the king, saying, with many tears, " Ah ! my lord and husband, have I 

What was the success of Philip in reheving Calais ? What challenge did he 
make? What was the answer? What was done by the citizens? Relate the 
story of tlie six citizens. 



116 DEATH OP PHILIP. 

not a right to ask a boon of you ? Let me now pray you in honour of 
our blessed Redeemer, and for Jove of me, that you would take pity 
upon these six prisoners." Edward, after some hesitation, granted her 
petition. The gracious queen rejoiced at having prevailed in her suit, 
and having changed the dishonourable attire of the burgesses for new 
clothing, gave each of them six nobles (pieces of money) for immediate 
use; caused them to be safely conveyed through the English host and 
set at liberty. 

Edward III. had no sooner obtained possession of Calais, than he 
studied to secure it by fortifications and otherwise; but particularly 
endeavoured by changes among its inhabitants to render it an important 
and permanent possession of the crown of England. For this purpose 
he dispossessed the inhabitants of Calais (who were indeed much re- 
duced in numbers) of their houses and property within the town, and 
conferred them on Englishmen. The new inhabitants whom he es- 
tablished were principally citizens from London, besides a considerable 
number from the county of Kent, to whom he assigned the lands and 
tenements of the French. 

Calais became from that period, until the reign of Philip and Mary, 
in all respects a colony of England. Finally Edward agreed to a truce 
with France, which lasted from 1347 until the year 1355. Shortly 
afterwards the king of France united Dauphiny to the crown, by mar- 
rying his grandson Charles to the heiress of that province. The dau- 
phin retired from the world and became a monk, and Charles was the 
first French prince who bore the title of Dauphin, afterwards adopted 
as that of the successor to the crown of France. He is often termed 
duke of Normandy, a county which his father John possessed until he 
succeeded to the crown. 

In 1349 Philip of Valois wedded the princess Blanche, sister of the 
king of Navarre ; but he did not long survive this union. He died 
(1350), in the twenty-third year of his reign, and fifty-seventh of his 
age. Philip was hated by the nobility on account of the frequent en- 
croachments which he made on their privileges, and for the readiness 
with which he subjected many of them to capital punishment. He ob- 
tained, at the commencement of his reign, the title of Fortunate, 
because, although three persons stood between him and the throne, he 
nevertheless had the good luck to obtain it; but, as it has happened to 
other princes, the long course of unsuccessful wars in which he engaged, 
and the miseries undergone during his reign, would better have entitled 
him to the surname of the Unhappy. 

Who saved them ? How did Edward secure Calais? What was Calais after 
this ? What was done then by Edward ? By Phihp ? By the Dauphin ? Whom 
did Phihp marrj' ? When did he die ? 



CHAKLES THE BAD. 117 

CHAPTER XXia 

JOHN II. (1350). 

John, duke of Normandy, ascended the throne on the death of his 
father Philip of Valois. He had attained the age of fifty ; having com- 
manded armies with glory, he had acquired reputation both for courage 
and prudence, and was in every respect a more hopeful prince than his 
predecessor. Yet, though distinguished by the surname of the Good, 
he early evinced a severity which occasioned much unpopularity. 

At a solemn festival at Paris, immediately after his coronation, he 
caused to be arrested, Rodolph de Brienne, count of Eu and of Guines, 
and constable of France, who was accused of wishing to let the English 
monarch have possession of his county of Guines, adjacent to the town 
of Calais. The unfortunate constable was arrested in presence of the 
lords of the council, and beheaded after three days confinement, with- 
out any form of trial. In the year 1349, the English commander in 
Bretagne, Sir Thomas Dagworth, fell into an ambuscade said to consist 
of banditti, by whom he was slain in violation of the truce. In resent- 
ment of this, Henry Plantagenet, already celebrated under the titles of 
Lancaster and Derljy, to which that of earl of Lincoln was now added, 
was sent as Edward's lieutenant-general into Bretagne, with an army 
which soon augmented to thirty thousand men. In contempt of the 
truce which still subsisted, continual skirmishes took place between the 
French and English. In these stormy times, the various commanders 
of garrisons made war upon each other as they saw occasion or oppor- 
tunity without consulting their kings, and in this manner much blood 
was spilt, of which neither prince was willing to bear the blame. The 
Pope Innocent XL used his intercession to prolong the truce, and suc- 
ceeded in 1353, although he was unable to bring the nations to a solid 
peace. 

About this time king John and his court were extremely disturbed by 
the intrigues of his young kinsman, Charles, king of Navarre. This 
prince, nearly connected with the French crown, his mother being a 
daughter of Louis X., called Hutin, possessed at once the most splendid 
and the most diabolical qualities. He was handsome, courageous, affable 
and liberal. Unfortunately he counterbalanced his good qualities by his 
bad ones ; he was intriguing, ambitious, and capable of executing his 
designs by the worst of means ; he justly merited the title of Charles 
the Bad, bestowed on him by the French, 

Soon after the arrival of this monarch at the court of John (A. D. 
1351), he rendered himself so agreeable, that he carried his point of 
marrying Joan, the daughter of the French monarch. He demanded 
certain places in Normandy, and when the king, to elude his importuni- 
ties, conferred that. country upon Charles de la Cerda, his constable and 

Who succeeded him? What was his first act? What took place in 1349? Who 
invaded France ? What is said of Charles of Navarre? Whom did he marry ? 



118 THE BLACK PRINCE IN TOULOUSE. 

favourite, the king- of Navarre did not hesitate to assassinate that unfor- 
tunate officer in his castle called de J'Aigle in Normandy. He boldly 
avowed the deed, put himself at the head of troops and affected inde- 
pendence ; treated with the English for their assistance ; leagued with 
all the fiery and discontented spirits of the court m opposition to the 
crown ; and threatened to create such confusion, that king John felt 
himself under the necessity of treating with this dangerous young man 
instead of bringing him to justice for his crimes. 

In March 1355, this high offender came to Paris, and appeared before 
the parliament, where the king was seated on the tribunal. He made 
a formal speech, acknowledging his errors, and asking forgiveness Vv^ith 
some affectation of humility. The duke of Bourbon, then constable of 
France, placed his hands upon those of the royal criminal, in sign of 
arrest, and led him into another apartment, as if to execution. The 
queens of France (of whom there were at that time three) threw them- 
selves at the feet of the monarch, to supplicate pardon for one so nearly 
connected with his family, and the king appeared reluctantly to grant it. 

Edward of England, who saw that this discord between John of France 
and Charles of Navarre would break out into an open fiame, made pre- 
parations to take advantage of it. For this purpose he named the Black 
Prince his lieutenant in Gascony and Aquitaine, and sent him over with 
a considerable army, which was augmented to about sixty thousand 
men. With this large force the young Edward marched into the coun- 
try of Toulouse, taking several towns, which he destroyed ; but Charles 
of Navarre becoming for the present reconciled with the king of France, 
the prince of Wales returned to Bourdeaux.- 

While the Black Prince was laying waste the southern provinces of 
France with fire and sword, the father landed at Calais, and marched 
towards pt. Omers, where king John lay at the head of a considerable 
army. The recollections of Cressy perhaps made the king of France 
decline an engagement ; so that Edward, unable to bring the French to 
action, returned to his own country to make head against the Scottish 
nation, which was again in arms. 

The prince of Wales, who had spent the winter in recruiting his little 
army at Bourdeaux, resolved the next year to sally forth and lay waste 
the country of the enemy, as he had done the preceding summer. John 
having determined to intercept him, assembled the whole force of his 
kingdom, in number of twenty thousand men-at-arms, headed by the 
king himself, his four sons, and most of the princes of the blood, together 
with the whole nobility and gentry of France. 

Scotland sent him an auxiliary force of two thousand men-at-arms, 
and with this overpowering army, the king of France marched intoPoi- 
tou, where prince Edward lay encamped at the village of Maupertuis, 
Within two leagues of Poictiers, and resolved to engage him before he 
could regain Bourdeaux. 

With numbers so unequal the prince of Wales dared hardly attempt 

Whom did he {issassinate ? What were his other acts? What coni-se did he 
take ill 1355? How was he treated ? Who was sent to F' ranee by Edward Third ? 
Where did he opcrale ? Who joined liini ? What ensued ? Whither did Kdward 
return? Where did the Black Prince winter ? What w^as done by John ^ 



BATTLE OF POICTIEES. 119 

a retreat, in which he was likely to be destroyed by the enemy ; he 
therefore took up a strong position, where the advantage of the ground 
might in some measure compensate the numerical inferiority. John had 
the choice of fighting instantly, or of surrounding and blockading the 
prince's army as it lay. Edward's troops scarcely amounted to the 
eighth part of those arrayed against him. 

This mem.orable field was a gentle declivity, covered with vineyards, 
which could only be approached by one road of no great breadth, flanked 
by thickets and hedges. To add to the strength of the ground, the En- 
glish laboured hard in fortifying it, and disposed every thing so as to 
cover their ranks with trenches, in addition to the trees, bushes and 
vineyards by which it was naturally defended. They were then drawn 
up on the side of the gentle acclivity with the judgment which distin- 
guished their commander. 

Sir Eustache de Ribeaumont reconnoitred the English, and carried to 
John of France an account of their disposition. " Sir," said he, " we 
have seen the enemy. By our guess, they amount to two thousand 
men-at-arms, four thousand archers, and fifteen hundred, or two thou- 
sand other men ; which troops appear to form but one division, and their 
position is almost inaccessible. If you would attack them, there is but 
one passage, where four horsemen can ride abreast, which leads to the 
centre of their line. The hedges which flank this access are lined with 
archers, and the English main body consists of dismounted men-at-arms, 
before whom a large body of archers is arranged in the form of a herse, 
or harrow. By this difficult passage alone can you approach." John, 
after reflecting, resolved to attack on foot. He commanded therefore 
his men-at-arms to dismount, cast off their spurs, and cut their spears to 
the length of five feet, in order to fight as infantry. Three hundred 
only were commanded to remain mounted, for the purpose of beginning 
the combat by a charge to make way for the columns of infantry. 

The battle having been thus determined upon, a noble churchman 
(the cardinal of Perigord) visited both the French and English armies, 
to incline them to peace. The prince of Wales was not unwilling to 
listen to honourable terms ; but the king of France insisted that Edward 
and his principal lords should remain prisoners. " I will never yield 
me prisoner," said the prince, " until I am taken sword in hand." 

Early the following morning the valiant young prince reviewed the 
position of his troops, and divided his little army into three, drawn up 
close in the rear of each other, on the sloping ground we have described. 
He also placed apart a body of men-at-arms to go round the hill unob- 
served, and fall on the rear of the French when they should commence 
the attack. 

The French began the battle with the three hundred select men-at- 
arms mounted, for the purpose of dispersing the archers and forcing a 
passage for the rest of the army ; but they had no sooner entered between 
the hedges, than the archers commenced a fatal discharge, and frighten- 
ing the horses, threw the troops into disorder. It was in vain that a 

By Edward ? How were the two armies situated ? How did the French pre- 
pare for the attack ? What passed between the cardinal and the commanders? 
How did Edward prepare for battle ? Describe the beginning of the battle. 



120 CAPTURE or KING JOHN II. 

great body of dismounted men-at-arms entered the pass under the com- 
mand of two of the French marshals, to relieve the mounted spearmen; 
they were driven back upon the second line, commanded by the Dau- 
phin. 

At the same time a strong body of English men-at-arms, with a cor- 
responding number of archers, burst unexpectedly from an ambuscade, 
attacked the French column on the flank and rear, and compelled it to 
fly. The advantage being now on the side of the English, the prince 
commanded his cavalry to advance, in the name of God and saint 
George, Upon seeing the approach of this strong body, the French 
lords who commanded the second division, and had charge of the three 
younger princes of France, retreated from the battle to preserve, as 
they afterwards alleged, those royal persons in safety. The army of 
the French was now in such confusion that the third division was exposed 
to all the fury of the English assault. The person of John who com- 
manded it, was placed in the greatest danger ; his nobles who fought 
around him were almost all slain or taken, and the victors, who disputed 
with each other the glory and advantage of taking so great a prince 
alive, called out, ^^ yield, sir, or you die.'''' The gallant French mon- 
arch disdained the safety which was to be acquired on such conditions 
and continued to defend himself valiantly with his battle-axe. Finding 
himself left almost alone, and overpowered by numbers, the unfortunate 
king expressed a wish to surrender to his cousin the prince of Wales; 
but he being in a distant part of the field, John gave his gauntlet in 
token of surrender to Sir Denis Morbeque, a Frenchman in the service 
of the Black Prince. Philip, the youngest son of John, was taken pri- 
soner with his father. He behaved so resolutely on that fatal day, that 
he acquired the epithet of the Hardy, by which he was afterwards dis- 
tinguished. The prince of Wales, courteous as brave, caused a banquet 
to be spread in his pavilion where he entertained the captive monarch 
with his great nobles. " You shall find my father," said he, " willing 
to display towards you all honor and friendship, and though you have 
lost the field, you have attained the glory of being the bravest knight 
who has this day fought against us." On the second day after the battle, 
the Black Prince marched towards Poictiers, which being well defended 
he did not attack, as he was chiefly desirous of securing his important 
capture of king John of France ; he therefore retired steadily towards 
Bourdeaux. After spending most of the winter there, he returned to 
England with his prisoner, and made a solemn entrance into London, 
where the citizens received him with a sumptuous display of their 
power and wealth. In the procession which traversed the city on the 
occasion, John of France appeared in royal array, mounted on a beauti- 
ful white charger, while the prince of Wales, avoiding the triumphant 
display of a victor, rode beside his captive on a little black palfrey. 

What followed ? What befel king John ? Philip ? How did the Black Prince 
treat his prisoners? 



121 



1 ' iL*iO,-f' 






1\ 




Field of Poictiers after the battle. 
11 



DISSENSIONS IN FRANCE. 123 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF JOHN. 

The battle of Poictiers, in 1356, being the disastrous consequence of 
that of Cressy, had been yet more calamitous. For as the combat had 
been chiefly on foot, a much larger portion of the French nobility had 
been slain, and the kingdom was in a great measure deprived of those 
on whose courage the defence of the country was supposed chiefly to 
depend. The three sons of John were too young to be capable of 
retrieving so dreadful a misfortune as the loss of the battle of Poictiers, 
The king had left no legal representative ; a deficiency which his son 
Charles the Dauphin endeavoured to supply by summoning a meeting 
of the Estates of the kingdom ; naturally hoping that in a period so 
calamitous, he should find them disposed to act unanimously, for obtain- 
ing liie relief of the king, and restoring good order in the kingdom. 

Unhappily the members of the national body were tempted by this 
opportunity of depressing the royal power ; and the spirit of Charles of 
Navarre influenced their deliberations, although his person was confined 
in the castle of Creve-Cceur. 

It was soon evident that their aim was the engrossing the sovereign 
power themselves. They divided into separate committees for execut- 
ing various branches of the public service, and transmitted several 
demands to the Dauphin, who, embarrassed by the grasping spirit dis- 
played by the assembly, endeavoured to evade demands which he could 
not grant without great hazard to the crown. He dissolved the States 
in spite of the remonstrances of the citizens of Paris, who, headed by 
Marcel, the provost of the merchants, and Ronsac, the sheriff", declared 
violently in favour of the assembly being reinstated in their authority. 

While these intestine divisions were proceeding with violence in the 
metropolis, war was laying waste the distant provinces. The cele- 
brated duke of Lancaster was in arms in Normandy, accompanied by 
lord Godfrey of Harcourt. One only hope remained. Ere the States 
had dissolved they had granted some supplies to enable the Dauphin, 
who was also duke of Normandy, to levy a small army to suppress this 
enemy, and Sir Robert Clermont, with about three hundred men-at- 
arms, and a sufficient body of infantry, marched against Sir Godfrey, 
who after fighting with a courage worthy of his reputation, was at 
length defeated and killed. This battle was fought near Coutances, 
about November, 1356. The duke of Lancaster, in revenge of the 
death of Sir Godfrey Harcourt, besieged Rennes very closely ; a trace 
was however made at the earnest intercession of two cardinals of the 

What is this battle called in historjr ? Relate what followed it. What is said 
of the battle ? What was the condition of France? How did the States General 
behave? The Dauphin? What happened in the provinces? What took place 
near Coutances ? At Rennes ? 



124 INTRIGUES OF CHARLES THE BAD. 

church, and the duke reluctantly raised the siege as the town was on 
the eve of surrendering. 

I will now relate to you an incident, to show the disturbed state of 
France, during the captivity of its king. William of Granville, a no- 
bleman, dwelt about two leagues from Evreux, and often visited it. He 
was privately attached to Philip of Navarre, younger brother of Charles 
the Bad, who served with the English host commanded by the duke of 
Lancaster ; but as he had never borne arms in the quarrel, no suspicion 
v/as attached to him, and he had the means of making a strong party 
among the burgesses. He came by degrees to the open ground before 
the castle gate for his ordinary promenade, and as the captain some- 
times went abroad for refreshment, they became familiar. One day 
haying every thing in readiness to execute an attempt, William of 
Granville began to amuse the governor with an idle story concerning a 
pretended attack upon England, by the joint forces of the king of Den- 
mark and the king of Ireland. When the Frenchman demanded 
whence he had this intelligence, Granville replied that a knight of 
Flanders had sent the news to him, and with it the most beautiful set 
of chess-men he had ever seen. This, as was intended, excited the cu-. 
riosity of the seneschal, who was known to be a great admirer of the 
game of chess, and Granville, as if to gratify his curiosity, sent for 
the chess-men, saying that they would play a game together. The 
board and men were brought, and the seneschal w^as so imprudent as to 
admit the knight within the fortress. He was privately armed with a 
shirt of mail, and held in his hand a small battle-axe, and thus, while 
apparently intent on his game, stood prepared to take advantage of such 
opportunity as should present itself. 

In the mean time his valet warned the conspirators to hold them- 
selves in readiness for a signal. The treacherous William of Gran- 
ville, in, the course of the game, seized an opportunity to dash out the 
captain's brains, and blowing a bugle horn, the burgesses ran to his 
assistance, and found him bestriding the body of the captain, and de- 
fending the gate against such of the garrison as hastily took the alarm. 
The insurgents soon made themselves masters of Evreux, which be- 
came a head-quarter of the Navarrois faction in Normandy. 

Unfortunately the dangerous Charles of Navarre escaped at this 
time from the castle of Creve-Coeur, in which he had been confined by 
king John, for his former intrigues. He was received with great joy, 
not only at Amiens, and other cities, but in Paris itself, where Marcel, 
the provost of the merchants, became his principal adherent. Charles 
harangued the Parisians in public, and with great effect ; he seemed to 
declare himself for a republic, or rather an aristocracy, instead of a 
monarchy, countenancing the claims of the States in opposition to those 
which were preferred for the crown on the part of the Dauphin and 
others. Those who adhered to his party obtained the name of Navar- 
rois. Philip, the brother of Charles, could not be prevailed on to de- 
clare in favour of a republic, in which, he said, there could never be 

At Evreux ? What did Evreux become ? What is said of Charles of Navarre ? 
Of Philip? 



WAR OF THE JACQUERIE. ' 125 

order, honour, or stability, but a constant succession of shame and con- 
fusion. France was shaken to its centre with internal discord, and its 
disasters seemed beyond the possibility of increase, when two alarming- 
circumstances carried the general misery to a height hitherto unknown. 

We have already mentioned the bands of mercenaries who were 
always ready to serve the party who promised the greatest share of 
plunder. Tiiese troops were generally English, and though they made 
no distinction of political principle, they were chiefly followers of the 
Navarre party. By means of these companions, as they were* called, 
Charles of Navarre proposed to carry into effect his dream of a repub- 
lic, or rather a species of oligarchy, in which doubtless he proposed to 
act the principal part himself. The Daupliin had long made inefl^ectual 
efforts to tranquillize the kingdom ; but a second great calamity, 
namely, the insurrection of the peasantry, was the means of strength- 
ening and increasing the army which he assembled. This was the war 
of the peasants called Jacquerie, because the gentry gave them the 
contemptuous name of Jacques Bonhomme, or Goodman James : it was 
the most dreadful scourge which had yet ravaged France. The pea- 
sants having been oppressed, became in their turn the oppressors, and 
rising with fury they seized upon such rustic arms as they could pro- 
cure, determined to destroy all the nobility and gentry in the kingdom. 
They burnt or pulled down their houses, stormed their castles, ill treated 
their wives and daughters, and put them to various modes of death 
equally cruel and protracted. In short, they were like fierce bandogs 
suddenly loosed from their chain. The horrors of this war had this 
good effect, that it impelled all men of principle to join in putting a 
stop to so aggravated an evil. The nobility soon united for mutual de- 
fence, and found no great difficulty in defeating the frantic peasants, 
though with the most unequal numbers. 

An instance is given by Froissart of an interesting nature. The 
duchess of Normandy, the duchess of Orleans, and nearly three hun- 
dred other ladies of quality, had taken refuge in the town of Meaux. 
Here they were beset by about nine or ten thousand of the insurgents, 
and it became apparent that the rabble of the town would take part 
with the peasantry. The count of Foix, and the captal of Buch, 
chanced to pass near the town, and heard of the imminent peril of the 
ladies. The knights were of different political principles. The earl 
was French, in birth and opinions ; the captal of Buch (so called from 
a district in Gascony of which he was governor) was distinguished by 
his valour in the service of Edward III., being the same who led the 
successful ambuscade at the battle of Poictiers. 

Without regarding their differences in other particulars, they were 
alike disposed to show themselves true knights in the defence of so 
many noble ladies, who were destined to death and infamy by a furious 
rabble. The followers of the knights were about four hundred men, 
and at the head of this very inferior force, they rode to Meaux, where 
the ladies were still safe in a citadel, or fortified quarter of the town; 

Of the Companions? Who were the Jacquerie ? What caused them to rebel ? 
How did they behave? Te)I tlie story of the ladies of Meaux. 

11* 



126 WAR RENEWED. 

but the inhabitants had admitted the ruffian mob into the market place 
and streets of the city. The two valiant knights arrived just in time 
to prevent the females from falling into the cruel hands of their out- 
rageous enemies; they lowered their lances, and rushing into the 
market place, soon cleared it of this disorderly crew, drove them out of 
the town at the sword's point, and pursued them some miles. 

Historians assert that seven thousand peasants were slain on this 
occasion. The knights returned in triumph, and burnt a part of the 
town of Meaux, to revenge themselves on the inhabitants who had ad- 
mitted the peasants within the walls. The honourable conduct of the 
warriors instigated many others to imitate it, and the Jacquerie was 
finally suppressed. 

The Dauphin, who had collected an army of thirty thousand men for 
subjecting the Jacquerie, speedily took an opportunity to blockade the 
rebellious town of Paris, of which he earnestly desired to render him- 
self master. The, king of Navarre, on the other hand, encamped at 
St. Denis, in order to support the provost Marcel, a,nd the Parisians of 
the Navarre faction. 

The provost seeing that matters could not long remain in this state, 
resolved to admit the king of Navarre and his forces into the city, in 
order to enable him to continue a resistance to the Dauphin. He com- 
municated therefore his intention to the chiefs lying at St. Denis, and 
directed them to approach the gates of St. Antoine and St. Honore, at 
twelve o'clock, the ensuing night, with a choice body of forces. It 
happened however that two citizens of the opposite party, called John 
and Symon MAiiiLART, having some suspicions of the affair, apprehend- 
ed the provost about midnight at the gate of St. Antoine with the keys 
of the city in his hands. They charged him wath treachery, and slew 
him upon the spot. The Dauphin entered Paris in triumph, and the 
king of Navarre formally declared war against France. 

The unfortunate king John, of whom Vv^e have had lately but little 
occasion to speak, appears, after his defeat and captivity, to have been 
in a great measure forgotten by his subjects. Finding himself abandon- 
ed to his own resources, he endeavoured to accommodate his differences 
with Edward. By an agreement with this prince, John engaged to 
suiTender Aquitaine, Gascony, Calais, and other fiefs, wliich Edward 
and his successors were to hold free of homage, or feudal fealty of any 
kind ; John consented also to pay four millions of gold crowns as ran- 
som for himself and the other prisoners taken at Poictiers. Edward, in 
consideration of this treaty, agreed to renounce all claim to the title of 
king of France, as well as all property in Normandy. But the consent 
of the Estates general was necessary to the validity of the treaty, and 
they positively refused to accede to the terms. The consequence was, 
that the preparations for war were resumed with great animosity on 
both sides, and the king of England assembled an army of a hundred 
thousand men. 

\Vho saved them ? How ? How were the peasants and the people of Meaux 
punished ? What is said of the Dauphin ? Of the provost of Paris and king of 
Navarre ? Who saved Paris ? How ? What is said of king John ? 01" the 
Estates ? Of Edward III ? 



SELF-DEVOTION OF KING JOHN. 127 

The news that Edward was about to renew the- war with a view of 
absolute conquest, had no small influence on the Navarrois party, and 
even on Charles himself, who prudently made a peace with the Dauphin 
on very reasonable conditions. Edward III. commenced his march, and 
traversing in great order the provinces of Artois and Picardy, he laid 
siege to the ancient city of Rheims, and it was said that he designed 
to have himself crowned there, according to the ancient custom of the 
kings of France. But the city was gallantly defended : the archbishop 
encouraged the oitizens, and many noblemen with their followers v*'ere 
also in the place. 

In 1360, Edward found himself obliged to abandon the siege of 
Rheims, and drew off his army towards the capital of France, a species 
of menace repeatedly used by the English during these wars, but with 
little effect. The Dauphin regent occupied Paris at the head of a nu- 
merous army. Edward was too prudent to attempt the assault of a large 
city so well garrisoned; he therefore retreated towards Bretagne to re- 
cruit his forces, while the regent and his council, deeply affected by the 
scene of desolation which France presented on all sides, saw the neces- 
sity of submitting to sue for a peace, however disadvantageous. The 
articles of peace were of course favourable to England, to whom the 
king of France relinquished the provinces of Gascony, with various other 
dependencies of Aquitaine; and in the north of France, the town of 
Calais, and earldom of Guines. In exchange Edward renounced all 
title to the crown and kingdom of France, and all claims to Normandy, 
Touraine, Anjou, and Maine. Upon these conditions the peace of Bre- 
tigny was founded (Oct. 24, A. D. 1360). Difficulties arose concerning 
the surrender of some part of the territory and castles yielded to the 
English; and the high-spirited noblemen who there held fiefs, did not 
understand being transferred, like a flock of sheep, from the allegiance 
of one sovereign to another. Many Gascon knights refused. France, 
they said, might herself dispense with their faith and homage, but she 
had no right to substitute a strange king in her place. The dukes of 
Anjou and Berry, with the dukes of Orleans and of Bourbon, still re- 
mained hostages in England for payment of the ransom stipulated for 
the prisoners of Poictiers. These princes obtained permission to pass 
to Calais, under pretence that they might be abte to furnish the means 
of concluding the disputed points of the treaty. Instead of doing so, the 
duke of Anjou took the opportunity of abusing this indulgence, and 
made his escape into France. King John, who had been set at liberty 
and had returned to France, was deeply hurt and oflended at the dis- 
honourable conduct of his son, and took the resolution of restoring to tlio 
English their full security for the ransom, by surrendering his own per- 
son once more into their hands: saying, that if faith and loyally were 
banished from the rest of the world, they ought still to remain in the 
hearts of kings. A very short time after his return to England, .John 
was seized with an indisposition, of which he did in the Savoy, April 
8th, 1364, and his son Charles, who had undergone so many difficulties 

What cily did he besiege ? What was the result ? Who sued for peace ? What 
were the terms? Relate the noble conduct of king John. Where did John die? 
Who succeeded him ? 



128 BATTLE OF A UK AY. 

as regent, now mounted the throne, with the experience which many 
years of difficulty and misfortune had enabled him to attain, and which 
has procured for him the well deserved epithet of the Wise. 



CHAPTER XXV. 
CHARLES V. CALLED THE WISE (1364). 

Charles of France, the fifty-first monarch of that kingdom, took on 
himself the affairs of his government, which were in a very confused 
state. The dispute concerning Bretagne was not yet determined, and 
disturbances continued in Normandy, between the Navarrois and the 
French partisans, the latter of whom were headed by a valiant Breton 
knight, called Bertrand du Guesclin, to whose courage France owed 
much during this reign. The Navarrois were commanded by the cap- 
tal of Buch. ^^ 

These two leaders gave battle near Cocherel in Normandy. The 
Navarrois Vv-ere completely defeated, and their commander fell into the 
hands of the conquerors. He was received with great distinction by 
Charles, who would have bestowed upon him an earldom, had the Black 
Prince permitted the captal to accept it. This was a fortunate com- 
mencement of king Charles's reign ; but it was not without its reverse 
in Bretagne. The king had sent the aid of a thousand lances to Sir 
Charles de Blois, in order to strengthen his party in Bretagne, while 
Edward had dispatched the lord Chandos with an equal number, to sup- 
port the gause of the earl of Montfort, son of John de Montfort, and his 
heroic countess (remarkable for her defence of Hennebon). These 
inveterate enemies, De Blois and De Montfort, finally encountered 
each other near the town of Auray. The two armies approached. The 
French came on in such close order, says Froissart, that had one thrown 
an apple among the battalion, it must have lighted upon a he] met or a 
headpiece. They were covered with large and strong targets to parry 
the arrows of the English archers ; and advancing among the bowmen 
without having endured the usual damage, laid about them with their 
axes. 

The archers being strong and active men, threw themselves among 
the French, and casting away their bows, wrenched the axes from the 
hands of their enemies, and made a defence with singular fury. The 
leaders on both sides fought valiantly and inspired their men. Bertrand 
du Guesclin was made prisoner: Sir Charles de Blois was slain on the 
field ; and, thus deprived of their principal leaders, the French party 
were totally discomfited. This battle ended the hostilities of Bretagne, 
which had now lasted so many years ; but the faction of Edward III., 
who had so long supported the war, derived little advantage from its 
conclusion. 

What is said of Bertrand da Guesnlin ? Of the Navarrois ? Describe the battle 
of Auray. Who fell ? Who were defeated? 



DU GUESCLIn's CRUSADli. 129 

It had been decided by the peace of Bretigny, that the king of Eng- 
land should lay no claim to the superiority of Bretagne, jn whatever 
manner the dispute between De Montfort and Charles de Blois might 
be terminated. The difficulty of finding the means to support the vari- 
ous expenses of the kingdom embarrassed Charles greatly, and drove 
him to a method of raising funds which could not be very popular. 
This was a general resumption of those gifts which the king and his 
predecessors had made, as well to the great vassals of the crown, as to 
inferior subjects. 

In the course of this delicate task, Charles, by his wisdom and oratory, 
made such an impression upon his uncle Philip of Orleans, as to prevail 
on that high prince of the blood, to resign all that he possessed by the 
favour of his father, brothers, and nephew ; saying, " that although he 
conceived he had a legitimate right to the donations of the crown, yet 
he resigned them all at the pleasure of the king his nephew, knowing 
that the service of the state rendered them necessary to him." This 
noble example produced the happiest effects, by exciting general emula- 
tion. The king also made laws against luxury ih entertainments, fes- 
tivals and apparel, and thus produced a considerable reform in the ex- 
penses of the great, which were a constant source of envy and odium 
to the poor ; but the state of the country, overrun by bands of soldiers, 
who acknowledged no sovereign, baffled for a long time his efforts to 
restore order. The associations of military adventurers were called the 
" Great Companies," and the king found himself totally unprepared to 
clear the country of these land pirates. In his distress he applied to 
Edward of England, who, by an article in the treaty of Bretigny, had 
bound himself to lend his assistance if required in relieving France of 
these military locusts. 

Edward sent forth a proclamation, commanding these companies to 
lay down their arms and evacuate the territory of France. Some few 
obeyed, but others treated his proclamation with contempt. The fiery 
monarch of England resolved instantly to march against them with an 
army ; but Charles, not desirous to afford a pretext for the re-entrance 
of English troops into France, returned for answer that he disapproved 
of the mode of proceeding. Edward indignantly replied "that in that 
case he must trust to his own strength, for he could not expect assist- 
ance from him," Charles (justly called the Wise) had in fact devised 
an expedient for ridding France of the wasting plague occasioned by 
these Companies, without the hazardous experiment of engaging in a 
v/ar with them, or seeking relief from an army of English. 

His purpose was to hold out to these adventurers a more distant 
field of war, which should afibrd them the prospect of wealth they 
coveted. The celebrated du Guesclln, who had been made a prisoner, 
was ransomed, and received instructions to engage them in an expedi- 
tion against the Moors in Spain. He put himself at the bead of thirty- 
five of the principal chiefs of the Companies. They assembled at 
Chalons upon the river Marne, and thence took their route towards 

Hovj did Charles raise money ? What is said of Philip of Orleans ? What laws 
did the king make? Who distressed the countrv? What passed between Charles 
and Edward ? What expedition did du Gueschu undertake ? 



130 PEDKO THE CRUEL. 

Avignon, at that time the habitation of the Pope. His Holiness, much 
alarmed at the approach of an army so composed, sent a cardinal to 
meet them, and to demand what troops they were, and with what pur- 
pose they came. Du Guesclin answered with great gravity, that they 
were sinful men who had taken the cross against the Moors, and they 
approached the footstool of the Pope to request absolution for their sins, 
and a sum of two hundred thousand florins, by way of alms to enable 
them to proceed upon their pious undertaking. The absolution was 
promised without scruple ; not so the money. 

The Pope would fain have satisfied these sturdy beggars with one 
hundred thousand florins, raised by a tax upon the inhabitants of Avig- 
non; but this did not suit du Guesclin's policy. "We came not," said 
he, " to pillage the poor, but to receive alms from the rich ; the full sub- 
sidy must be paid by the Pope and his cardinals, who have plenty of 
money." The Pope was under the necessity of complying with this 
unceremonious request, liberally adding to the subsidy the pardon about 
which the companions affected to be anxious. Bertrand du Guesclin, 
and such captains of the companions as he trusted with his secret pur- 
pose, had an expedition in view very different from that of an attack 
upon the Moors. There reigned at this time in Castile, one of the prin- 
cipal Christian kingdoms in Spain, Don Pedro, called, for his inhumanity 
and tyranny, the Cruel, He had murdered his beautiful and youthful 
bride, a near relation of the king of France, and had threatened the life 
of two or three brothers by the father's side, particularly one of them, 
Henry, count of Transtamara, who stood high in the esteem of the 
world, and was supposed to head the numerous party of Castilians whom 
Pedro's cruelties had rendered malcontent. 

Without embarrassing ourselves with the minute particulars of the 
expediticyi, it is sufficient to say that du Guesclin and his army easily 
dispossessed Pedro of the crown which his vices had rendered very in- 
secure, and compelled him to fly to Corunna. The prince of Wales 
having embarrassed his finances in the attempts to support Pedro, took 
an unfortunate mode of retrieving them. This was by a tax upon chim- 
neys, called by the French fouagc, which amounted to a franc upon 
each chimney. But his Gascon subjects refused to submit to the impo- 
sition, alleging that they were never subject to such assessments while 
under the dominion of France. The barons, who caught eagerly at this 
new subject of offence, combined to free themselves from the dominion 
of England. As new grievances arose, the influence of patriotism in- 
creased in Gascony, and many pretexts for discontent were found, which 
would never have suggested themselves, had it not been for the influence 
of national feeling and national rivalry. A crisis therefore approached 
which threatened the dominion of England in France, and seemed likely 
to destroy all the influence which Edward III. and his son had acquired 
in that country by such an expenditure of blood and treasure. 

Anotlier person besides Bertrand du Guesclin watched the progress 
of the discontents which agitated the English provinces in France, in- 



What parsed between him and the Pope ? How was the matter settled ? What 
is said of Podro tlie Cruel ? Who deposed him ? What is said of the Prince of 
Wales ? Of the Ciast ons ? 



APPROACHING WAR WITH ENGLAND. 131 

tending to profit by them as occasion should present itself. This was 
Charles of France, whose wisdom turned itself so much to the accumu- 
lation of riches that he acquired the title of the Wealthy, added to that 
of the Wise. Though strictly bound, by the treaty of Bretigny, to ab- 
stain from disputing the title of England to the province of Gascony, he 
determined to encourage the discontented Gascon lords by assuming 
once more the title of lord paramount of that country ; and by receiving 
an appeal to his parliament at Paris from those who claimed justice 
against the proceedings of the Black Prince. 

As an excuse for assuming a power disowned by the peace of Bretigny, 
the French monarch pretended that Edward had not so absolutely re- 
nounced the title of king of France, as he was bound by that treaty to 
do. The fact however was that the opportunity was tempting, and 
Charles made use of it. When the French king saw the favourable 
moment for declaring himself, he sent a clerk and a knight to intimate 
to the prince of Wales the course he intended to pursue. These mes- 
sengers found the prince at his court in Bourdeaux, and kneeling before 
him, craved permission to deliver their message. The clerk then read 
a summons in the name of Charles, and directed to his nephew the 
prince of Wales, setting forth, that various prelates, barons, knights, 
etc., of Gascony, had complained to the king of France of grievances 
sustained at the hands of the said prince of Wales, and therefore com- 
manding him to appear in person in the city of Paris, and present him- 
self before the king of France and his peers, to make answer to the 
petitions which complained of injury he had done. 

The prince of Wales heard with no little astonishment a summons 
founded on the right of homage, which was expressly renounced by 
France at the treaty of Bretigny. His eyes sparkled with indignation, 
as looking fiercely upon the French messengers, he thus replied : " Does 
our fair uncle desire to see us at Paris ? Gladly will we go thither ; 
hut I assure you, Sirs, it will be with basnet on our head and sixty thou- 
sand men in our company^ 

Charles was prepared for the approaching contest, and. had the advan- 
tage of the general assent of his subjects, who, fired with the hope of 
reviving their national glory and independence, pledged themselves to 
support with their lives and fortunes the quarrel with England, in which 
he was now about to engage. 

The peace, which had lasted a considerable time, had also greatly 
diminished the forces at the command of Edward III. and his son the 
Black Prince. The Free Companies, which might be considered as 
something corresponding to a standing army of the period, had been, 
owing to the want of money, dismissed from the pay of England, and in 
a great measure disbanded, or sent to find employment elsewhere. 

The feudal troops and archery of England herself, whom it would 
have been difficult or impossible to detain in Gascony or France for any 
length of time, after the war was at an end, had returned to their native 
country, and it would require new efforts and new expenditure of trea- 

Of Charles of France ? What message did he send to the prince of Wales ? 
What was his answer ? What is said of Charles ? Of Edward's forces ? 



132 AFFAIR OF PUYRENON. 

sure to recall them to the field, when their services were most ne- 
cessary. 

On the other hand, the whole kingdom of France was replenished 
with a rising- generation, who had neither experienced the terrors of the 
former English victories, nor felt any thing but the desire of vengeance 
on their invaders. Charles himself might indeed remember the disasters 
of Cressy and Poictiers ; but he had at the same time the satisfaction to 
know that Edward III. was now in an advanced age, embarrassed too by 
the discontent of his subjects, who were unwilling to submit to further 
assessments for the support of a foreign war, and by the increasing in- 
disposition of the Black Prince, whose body could no longer execute the 
dictates of his dauntless mind. On the whole therefore the king of 
France was prepared with good hopes, once more to revive the bloody 
war which had so long wasted his kingdom. Nor did the commence- 
ment of the struggle deceive his expectations. 

The spirit of prince Edward flinched not under the infirmity of his 
body. He purposed to take the field in person, and advance to Paris at 
the head of a numerous army. His father had again influence enough 
with his parliament to obtain large subsidies, and levy a considerable 
army, which he despatched to the assistance of the prince, under the 
command of the earl of Cambridge, his brother, and the gallant John 
Hastings, earl of Pembroke, his brother-in-law. The Black Prince 
received also a powerful reinforcement from the Grand Companies, who, 
as their trade was war, were naturally determined in their choice of a 
side, by their relia,nce on the military qualities of the commander-in- 
chief, for skill, valour, generosity, and success ; and certainly there was 
no man alive who could, in these respects, be termed equal to the prince 
of Wales. The schemes of Charles for undermining the English power 
in Franpe, were so skilfully laid, that they took eflect with considerable 
success. The province of Ponthieu was seized upon without much 
opposition ; and the dukes of Anjou and Berry, brothers of the king, 
each at the head of a considerable array, were ready to invade the pro- 
vinces of Gascony and Poitou. 

The earl of Pembroke, with a force of two hundred spears, took the 
fleld with the purpose of wasting the lands of those nobles who were 
hostile to England. The French lords, who held these garrisons, hear- 
ing of a jealousy between Sir J. Chandos and the earl of Pembroke, 
resolved to gather their forces, and suddenly attack the latter. They 
combined an overpowering force, and made their attack near a village 
called Puyrenon, slaying a number of men-at-arms, and forcing the rest 
to take refuge in a churchyard, which surrounded a building formerly 
belonging to the Knights Templars. 

The French knights, commanded by the Mareschal de Sancerre, said 
jestingly: '■'■They have got into a churchyard, it is but fair to give 
them time to choose out and dig their graves ; and after we have taken 
dinner, we will visit them and sec how they suit them." But the mare- 
schal commanded an instant attack ; the assault was made with little 

What was the state of France ? Of Edward III ?' Of the Black Prince ? What 
was his purpose? What province did Charles take? Relate the affair of the 
churchyaid. 



PRANCE INVADED. 133 

success, they were repulsed by the English earl and his party ; but they 
promised themselves better fortune the next day. 

Early next morning they resumed the attack and persevered until 
noon ; they collected, among the neighbouring peasants, pickaxes and 
mattocks for the purpose of undermining the walls : this mode of attack 
being that which the English most dreaded. The earl of Pembroke, 
who began to repent his foolish jealousy, sent a messenger on his best 
horse to convey to his friend lord Chandos the news of the jeopardy in 
which they stood ; conjuring him by a token to come to his deliverance. 
This token was a ring formerly given by Chandos to the young earl. 
The messenger escaped by a postern, went off at full gallop, and reached 
Poictiers as Chandos was about to sit down to dinner ; he resented the 
young earl's refusal to join him, and received his message coldly, ob- 
serving that to deliver him was impossible, if he was in such a strait as 
was represented ; therefore they had better sit down to dinner, or the 
meat would be spoiled. 

As Chandos was of a noble disposition, his resentment soon passed, 
and as the second course was served he raised his head, which till then 
he had held depressed on his bosom, and said to those around him : 
"Hear me, sirs, the earl of Pembroke is a noble person, and of high 
lineage ; son-in-law to our natural lord, the king of England. Foul 
shame were it to see him lost, if I may help it ; wherefore I will go 
to his assistance with the grace of God. Make ready, sirs, for Puy- 
renon !" 

All rushed to arms, and lord Chandos, at the head of two hundred 
spears, made towards the village with such despatch that they had good 
hope of surprising the French. But the mareschal of Sancerre, who 
heard of the approach of Chandos, drew off his troops, and secured such 
prisoners and booty as they had made at the first onset ; comprising all 
the treasures and baggage of the earl of Pembroke. The earl and his 
knights retired from the temple-house with such horses as they had 
left : some mounted two on one horse, and others walking. When they 
met with John of Chandos, Pembroke and he embraced with tears ; and 
the former greatly reflected upon himself that he had not moved sooner 
to the aid of his friend, when he might have reached Puyrenon time 
enough to have surprised Sancerre and his forces, who had now retired 
to a place of safety. 

A desultory warfare continued to distract the provinces for some time, 
each party gaining and losing alternately, so that no decisive blow was 
struck. Edward III. had endeavoured to strengthen himself in France 
by despatching to Calais his son, commonly called John of Gaunt, with 
five hundred men-at-arms, and a gallant force of archers, with whom 
the count of Namur united himself as an auxiliary of England. 

The king of France hearing that an army had entered Calais, com- 
manded by a son of England, despatched the duke of Burgundy, one 
of his ablest brothers, to oppose him, with a force which, compared to 

To whom did Pembroke send for relief? Give an account of Chandos's conduct. 
What was the consequence of his delay ? What passed between him and Pem- 
broke at their meeting ? Who was sent to invade France ? Who opposed him ? 

12 



134 PARIS THREATENED. 

that of the invaders, was more than seven to one. He irnpoged how- 
ever strict commands upon this prince, that he should on no account ven- 
ture upon an engagement. Thus restrained, the duke of Burgundy- 
took post in the vicinity of Calais, between St. Omers and Tournehan, 
while the duke of Lancaster on the other side occupied a very strong 
position fortified with hedges, ditches, and enclosures. The duke of 
Burgundy seeing that his character suffered by conforming to the orders 
of the king, requested permission either to give battle to the English, 
or to leave a position so humiliating. 

Charles therefore commanded him to raise his camp, and come to 
Paris, which was done with so much caution, that the fires which con- 
sumed the tents the French had occupied were the first intimation the 
English received of their retreat. The duke of Lancaster determined 
to march into France, and advancing from Calais to the eastward, left 
severe marks of his displeasure upon the villages and cultivated coun- 
try ; especially where they had shown themselves unfriendly to Eng- 
land. A marauding party far less numerous than that under the duke 
of Lancaster, was commanded by Sir Robert Knolles, a distinguished 
officer who, from a mean origin, had raised himself among the Grand 
Companies. He was now commissioned with an army of thirty thou- 
sand men to lay waste the kingdom. of France on behalf of Edward IIL 
Knolles set out from Calais with his troops at the end of July (A. D. 
1370), and moved forward by Terouenne and Artois, burning and ravag- 
ing the country. He directed his march towards Paris without any 
hope to gain possession of that city ; but from the desire to spread con- 
fusion and terror. Some districts happily escaped ravage through the 
medium of a good sum of money. He approached the city so near, 
that the fires which he raised in the neighbouring villages were plainly 
seen from the walls of Paris. A knight of the English army having 
made a vow to strike his spear upon the gate of Paris, rushed forth 
from the ranks, and followed by his squire rode up to the barrier which 
he found open. There were several French knights standing near who 
wondered what this single man was about to attempt; but when they 
saw him satisfied with striking his lance upon the gate, and reining 
round his courser to return, they laughed and said, " Go thy way for a 
brave knight, thou hast well acccmplished thy vowy But the citizens 
of Paris and the suburbs had not the same sympathy as was entertained 
by those who were his brothers in chivalry ; a butcher, who had seen 
him pass, waylaid him on his return, and struck him from his horse 
with a cleaver, and others coming up he was soon killed. Sir Robert 
Knolles encamped that night within sight of Paris, but this adventur- 
ous expedition was concluded by an engagement betwixt him and the 
celebrated Bertrand du Guesclin. 

The events of the war took an unfavourable turn for England, for in 
this year (1376) the gallant Black Prince was lost to his trade of arms ; 
and the formidable Bertrand du Guesclin resumed a command in the 
service of Charles. 

What were his orders? What did he request 1 Whither did ho retreat? What 
followed ? Who approached Paris ? Relate the story of" the knight. What is 
said uf du Guesclin ? Of England ? Of the Black Prince ? 



MASSACRE AT LIMOGES. 135 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
DEATH OF EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE (1376). 

You have already been informed that Edward, the renowned Black 
Prince, had never enjoyed health since the expedition into Spain. It 
was in vain that his high spirit struggled against the decay of strength, 
and the increase of the debilitating disorder which appears to have 
been dropsical. Yet it was not the will of fate that this celebrated 
champion should depart from the scene without one final ray of victory 
shining upon his banner. The Gascons had yielded up the strong city 
of Limoges to the French, and admitted a French garrison. The sur- 
render was made to the duke of Anjou ; and Bertrand du Guesclin re- 
mained in the province of the Limousin, to protect this important ac- 
quisition. The prince of Wales, though unable to mount a horse, 
hastily assembled an army of about twelve hundred lances and two 
thousand archers; he caused them to move forward upon Limoges, he 
himself being borne in an open litter at the head of his troops. 

The garrison treated with scorn his summons to surrender, and the 
prince began immediately to undermine, and his engineers were soon 
able to throw down enough of the wall to admit his entering in battal- 
ion. The use of gunpowder in such mines being as yet unknown, the 
miners had orders to set fire to the props which supported the wall dur- 
ing the time they had carried on their operations : a portion of the wall 
about thirty feet in extent, fell into the ditch and filled it up, and the 
English division appointed for the storm rushed over the ruins. The 
gates were secured by another part of the English army. All escape 
was impossible ; and the unfortunate inhabitants could only prostrate 
themselves in the streets and implore the compassion of the prince, who 
was determined to grant none. The slaughter was indiscriminate, and 
while the prince was borne into the town upon his litter, the guards 
who attended him slew men, women and children with their pole-axes 
and swords : four thousand persons thus perished. 

The sight of four gallant Frenchmen defending themselves with 
much bravery first waked Edward's sympathy. Each was matched 
with a noble, and almost royal antagonist; for the four men-at-arms 
were engaged hand to hand with the duke of Lancaster and earl of 
Cambridge, brothers to the prince of Wales ; with the earl of Pem- 
broke, his brother-in-law, and another distinguished English warrior. 
The prince stopped his litter to witness this sharp conflict, and the 
French knights took this opportunity to surrender, and yield up their 
swords to him. They were dismissed with praises, and the heart of 
the conqueror was somewhat softened towards the vanquished by the 
chivalry which these warriors displayed. But his anger revived when 
the bishop of Limoges, first author of the revolt, was brought before 

Describe the fall of Limoges. How many perished ? Relate the affair of the 
four Frenchmen. Of the bishop. 



136 THE ENGLISH DEFEATED, 

him. In the heat of his wrath he commarxded him to he beheaded ; 
and it was with difficulty that he was finally induced to spare his life. 

The retaking of Limoges was the last military feat of this renowned 
warrior ; in the beginning of the next year he had the misfortune of 
losing his eldest son ; and his own illness increasing, he v/as determined 
to try what his native air might do for his recovery: he left for ever the 
country in which he had gained so much glory, and upon which he had 
inflicted such terrible calamities. 

This great prince died at Westminster on the 8th day of June, 1376 ; 
and his father, exhausted by age and various causes of vexation which 
overclouded his last years, did not long survive him. Edward III. died 
on the 21st of June, 1377, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. 

The important post of constable of France becoming vacant, Charles 
v., considering Du Guesclin the best general of his time, with the full 
assent of his nobles fixed upon him to fill that high office. But Du 
Guesclin modestly stated his incapacity, and the difficulty which he, a 
poor knight, must expect in making himself obeyed by the great and 
powerful princes of France. The king, however, insisted upon the 
charge being accepted by the warrior who had shown himself most ca- 
pable of bearing it. Du Guesclin then asked a condition, that in case 
complaints should be brought against him, the king should deign to 
refuse credence to any which the informer was not ready to vouch in 
presence of the accused : this was readily granted. The new constable 
proposed to attack the English general. Sir Robert Knolles ; yet having 
no more men than would enable him to watch the enemy, the faithful 
Du Guesclin augmented his forces at his own expense, and for that pur- 
pose sold a number of rich jewels and other property. The time indeed 
was very favourable for an attack upon the army of Knolles, as there 
were dissensions between him and his generals concerning what part of 
France would be most eligible for winter quarters. 

While disunion was thus gaining ground among the English, Du 
Guesclin obtained news of all their proceedings from a traitorous knight, 
Sir John Menstreworth, who privately corresponded with the French. 
The new constable had already advanced on Sir Robert, then in quarters 
in Bretagne ; but Knolles hearing of his approach, resolved secretly and 
suddenly to assemble the troops who had lately left his standard, and 
thus collect a body of forces with which he would be able to overpower 
Du Guesclin. Lord Grandison, lord Fitzwalter, and the other discon- 
tented nobles, received therefore private instructions to repair to the camp 
of Sir Robert Knolles, and they obeyed tlie summons. All this was commu- 
nicated by Sir John Menstrewortli to the constable of France, who resolved 
by his active movements to prevent the execution of the plan of the 
English general, and to strike a blow at the forces while they were yet 
separated from tlie main body. With this purpose the .constable met 
them at a place called Pont- Volant, half way before they could join with 
Knolles ; and, attacking them with nearly double their numbers, soon 
reduced them to extremity. The English defended themselves manfully, 

Whither did the Black Prince retire? When did he die? When did Edward 
III. die? Who was made constable ? Whom did he attack ? What traitor assisted 
him? Wliiil was iho result? 



FURTHER LOSSES OF THE ENGLISH. 137 

but they could not long endure so unequal a combat, and many of the 
nobles were slain or made prisoners. The immediate consequence of 
the defeat was that Sir Robert Knolles fell into such suspicion that he 
dared not trust himself within the bounds of Britain. But the real trai- 
tor Menstre worth becoming known, he was executed, and Knolles en- 
tirely restored to king Edward's favour. 

The constable of France, after his success at Pont- Volant, seized 
many fortresses, and carried on the war in Guienne and the neighbour- 
ing counties with tolerable success. 

The duke of Lancaster now maintained at Bourdeaux a princely state, 
not inferior to that of the Black Prince himself, whom he resembled in 
courage and pride, though he was not equal to him in military science. 
He had married one of the daughters of the late Don Pedro the Cruel, 
and by this unhappy step added to the difficulties arising from the French 
war the prospect of a quarrel with the king of Castle. The duke of 
Lancaster having, in 1371, returned to England with his royal bride, 
the earl of Pembroke was appointed to sail as commander-in-chief of the 
English forces to the principality Of Aquitaine. He had a fleet of forty 
ships, having on board a considerable body of troops, with supplies of 
money and ammunition requisite to the support of the English cause in 
the south of France. Thus provided he sailed for Rochelle ; but as he 
approached that place he was encountered by a powerful fleet (A. D. 
1372, June 23), belonging to Henry of Transtamare, king of Castile, 
v;ho espoused the cause of the French, the duke of Lancaster having, in 
right of his wife the princess Constance, laid claim to his kingdom. 

The two navies of England and Spain encountered fiercely, and the 
combat endured until the evening of the second day, when the Spaniards 
obtained a complete victory. It is said that this superiority was owing, 
not only to the size of the Spanish vessels, which were much larger 
than those of the English, but to the use of cannon on the part of the 
former, a weapon now for the first time made use of in naval war. 
The greatest part of the English fleet was burnt, taken, or sunk ; and 
the earl of Pembroke, son-in-law to Edward III., remained with many 
other knights prisoners of war to the Spaniards. 

Shortly after this battle, v/hich was fought off" Rochelle, the mayor of 
that place, one John Chaudron, influenced no doubt by the issue of the 
combat, contrived to surrender the important sea-port to the king of 
Fra.nce. The English however had still a garrison, of which one Philip 
Mansel, an uneducated man, was the temporary governor. The mayor 
having secured a party of burgesses in his plot, undertook to circumvent 
the commander of the citadel. He invited Mansel to a civic feast, 
where he exhibited a letter under the great seal of England (one of an 
old date), shrewdly suspecting that the governor could not read a word 
of it " You perceive from this letter," said the mayor, boldly exhibit- 
ing it to the ignorant governor, "that the king has commanded the 
garrison of the castle, and that of the city, to be alternately reviewed 

How was Knolles treated by Edward ? What was done by the constable ? By 
Lancaster ? Whom did he marry ? What was done by the earl of Pembroke ? Who 
opposed him ? Which party conquered ? Who surrendered Rochelle to the French ? 
Mow was this accomplished ? 

12* 



138 LANCASTER S INVASION, 

by the commanders of each ; wherefore I will make my musters to-mor- 
row, if it please you to review them; and you, if you think proper, shall 
bring your force out of the castle, that I may inspect them ia my tarn 
in the manner here appointed." 

The incautious governor believing this to be the tenor of the letter, 
was induced to bring his men out of the castle towards the field where 
the rendezvous was to be held, and the mayor immediately interposed a 
strony body of armed citizens between the garrison and the castle, and 
compelled them to lay down their arms. 

The strong town of Poictiers also augmented the triumphs of the gal- 
lant du Guesclin, and there now only remained to the English in Gas- 
cony the town of Thouars, then a place of considerable strength. The 
constable speedily formed the siege of that place, and pressed it with 
such vigour that the English lords who were enclosed in it, consisting 
of the noblest and best of those partisans whom the numerous skirmishes 
and sieges had left, were inclined to come to terms. They engaged to 
surrender against the next Michaelmas, provided that the king of Eng- 
land, or one of his sons, should not, before that time, bring them succour 
in person. Edward, to whom this agreement was communicated, was 
highly incensed that a prince so unwarlike as Charles of France, who 
was seldom seen with armour on his back, or a lance in his hand, should 
give him so much more trouble than his martial predecessors, and he 
swore to take the field once more in person, with the purpose, not only 
of relieving Thouars, but of invading France. 

The king put to sea accordingly with a considerable army, his desti- 
nation being the sea-port of Rochelle ; but the wind and waves were 
adverse to the course he proposed ; and after a desperate struggle, king 
Edward, to whom fortune had been so long favourable by land and sea, 
saw himself absolutely obliged to return to England without relieving 
the fortress. 

Thouars was therefore left to its fate. The barons of Guienne who 
remained faithful to England offered to advance with twelve hundred 
spears to attempt the relief of this important place ; but it was loo late : 
the knights enclosed within the town had plighted their faith to surren- 
der at a certain time, and they therefore delivered it up to the French 
on the terms of the treaty, 

Edward exerted himself in the hope of repairing the sinking affairs 
of the duke of Brctagne. He raised an army of fifty thousand men, 
which, under the command of the duke of Lancaster, landed at Calais, 
in the summer of 1372, for the purpose, on the duke's part, of emulating 
his father's deeds, and restoring the English affairs in France ; but with- 
out success worthy of such great preparations. 

The duke of Lancaster sallied forth from Calais at the head of his 
army. He had with him the earls of Warwick, Stafford, Suffolk, with 
lord Edward Spencer. They marched with precaution, being closely 
watched by three armies of the French, one commanded by the duke 
of Burgundy, one by the duke of Bourbon, and a third consisting ciiiefly 

What, other town was taken ? Wliat town was besieged ? Who attempted to 
relieve if? What was the result ? Who was now sent lo invade France ? With 
wliat force? VVlio o])posed him? 



DEATH OF DU GUESCLIN. 139 

of cavalry headed by the indefatigable du Guesclin, which followed in 
the rear of the English, cutting off all who strayed from their standard ; 
and thus enclosed and observed, they could make little spoil upon the 
country, without exposing themselves to instant retaliation. However 
the duke of Lancaster was determined to march to Bourdeaux to re- 
establish the English power in Gascony ; and at length reached that 
city, but not without losing four-fifths of his army. Soon after this, 
Charles himself was taken ill with little hope of recovery ; and an inci- 
dent occurred which tended to increase the gloom of his death-bed. 
This was the news of the death of du Guesclin, high constable of France. 
He had been employed in the war in Bretagne, and still more recently 
in that of Guienne ; and had conducted himself with the same gallantry 
and success which he had all along exhibited. 

The last act of his life was laying siege to the Ch^teau-Neuf de 
Randon. He had summoned the fortress, in terms which were boldly 
but respectfully answered by the commandant. On his refusal to sur- 
render, du Guesclin pitched his tent before the place and pressed it by 
a close siege. He fell ill at this critical moment, and became speedily 
aware that he should soon close the scene of his existence. Willing 
to expend his last spark of life in the service of his country, du Guesclin 
sent the commander of Chateau-Neuf de Randon a positive summons 
to surrender the place instantly if he desired to profit by his interces- 
sions with the king of France in his favour. The commandant moved 
by the resolute and severe tone in which this message was delivered, 
declared, he would deliver the keys of his fortress to the constable of 
France, but to no leader of inferior degree. He was conducted there- 
fore to the tent of du Guesclin ; but he was no longer alive ; and the 
commandant wa,s compelled to lay the emblems of submission at the 
feet of a lifeless corpse. 

Charles V. still endeavoured to execute the great purpose of his am- 
bition, which was the reunion of France into one kingdom. This de- 
sirable object had met with a great obstacle in the king of Navarre, 
Charles the Bad. This prince pretended to have claims upon the crown 
of France ; and to dispossess him of these, was the object of Charles's 
policy. He received therefore against Charles of Navarre an accusa- 
tion of high treason, as having administered poison to the royal person 
of his liege lord. The noxious draught was said to have been so po- 
tent, that the king of France lost his hair and his nails, and retained to 
the end of his life the marks of having taken poison. Yet the affair 
was never judicially brought forward, until the expulsion of the Eng- 
lish from so many places of importance in France had rendered any re- 
bellion of Charles of Navarre of less consequence. The wicked prince 
was, by a sentence of the Estates, deprived of such dominions as he 
still held in France. He continued his course of vicious habits and 
political intrigues till he was full sixty years old ; at which age his pro- 
fligate habits had so far reduced his constitution that he was ordered by 
his physicians to swathe himself in a vestment steeped in spirit of wine, 

What city did he reach ? With what loss ? Who was taken sick ? Relate the 
circumstances of Du Guesclin's death. What was Charles's grand object? Who 
opposed him ? What is said of Charles the Bad ? 



140 DUKE OF ANJOIT REGENT. 

and to procure artificial warmth by means of a warm bed, heated by a 
chauffoir of hot coals. Through want of caution a coal communicated 
fire to his sheet, and from that to his person swathed as it was in matter 
highly inflammable. Before he could be rescued, he was burnt to the 
bowels, yet survived in great agony during fifteen days. Such Vv^as the 
wretched end of the wicked king of Navarre. 

Charles of France was now approaching his end, dying, it is said, a 
victim to the poison administered by the king of Navarre so long be- 
fore ; and his death was felt by the country with deeper regret than 
that of a sovereign is often regarded. Quiet, sedate, temperate in his 
passions, viewing clearly, weighing deliberately, and wisely selecting 
the objects of his policy, Charles never rashly changed, and rarely ulti- 
mately abandoned them. Though born in warlike times, he was him- 
self no warrior, and this was a fortunate circumstance, since he was 
never liable to be driven forward by the vehement desire of personal 
distinction which hurried his predecessors, Philip of Valois and John, 
into the fatal fields of Cressy and Poictiers. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
CHARLES VI. (1380). 



The successor of Charles the Wise was also named Charles, being 
the sixth king so called : he v/as at this time only twelve years old, 
and it ^vas necessary to appoint a regent. The duke of Anjou, the 
eldest brother of the deceased monarch, was supposed to be possessed 
of considerable talent; he was a mortal enemy to the English, and a 
principal actor, during the late reign, in making w^ar upon them in the 
south of France. This prince obtained the regency by appointment of 
the Estates, but the education and personal care of the king were en- 
trusted to the duke of Burgundy, the king's uncle by the father's side, 
and the duke of Bourbon, the same relation by the mother's. 

Unhappily for France the private interest of the regent duke of An- 
jou was entirely different from tliat of the kingdom at large. The first 
effort of the new government, divided as it was by the various claims 
of the princes of the blood, was to procure a settlement amongst them ; 
and for some time their desire of a relaxation of taxes seemed to inti- 
mate a wish to alleviate the heavy burdens of the people. 

This flattering prospect soon disappeared through the disunion of the 
princes. We have already said that the regent duke of Anjou seized 
upon the treasures of his brother the deceased king ; he employed them, 
as I will hereafter show you, in an attempt on Naples and Sicily ; a 

Relate the circumstances of his death. What was the character of Charles of 
France ? Who succeeded Charles the Wise ? Who was regent ? What treasures 
did the regent seize ? 



FLEMISH REVOLTS. 141 

project totally useless to himself, and dangerous to France, on which it 
entailed a long course of disasters. 

There was at this time a schism in the Roman Catholic Church ; two 
Popes had been chosen who were acknowledged in opposition to each 
other by different kingdoms of the Christian world. The one, who 
assumed the name of Urban, resided at Rome ; the other, under the 
title of Pope Clement, held his seat of Church government at Avignon, 
in the south of France. Each had his separate college of cardinals, and 
affected the power and authority of the full papal sway. 

The duke of Anjou had no great difficulty in prevailing upon Clement 
to declare in favour of his title to the crown of Naples and Sicily. He 
did so alleging that the deceased Joan had put all her dominions and 
seigniories at the disposal of the Church. While Anjou was pursuing 
his own ends, the English might have made considerable efforts for the 
recovery of the dominions which they had lost in France. Of these 
dominions, Calais, Bourdeaux, and Bayonne, were the chief remains of 
Edward the Third's conquests which his successor retained. They 
were important towns, and required large garrisons. Cherbourg and 
Brest were also in the hands of the English (A. D. 1378). 

A large army was therefore sent into France by the way of Calais, 
under the command of the earl of Buckingham, afterwards known as 
the good duke Humphrey of Gloucester, uncle to Richard II. This 
force did little more than waste the neighbourhood, after the fashion of 
the latter English invaders ; and when they advanced towards Bretagne, 
the death of Charles V. had inspired their ally, John de Montfort, with 
the hopes of making a separate peace with France, without embarrassing 
himself about his allies of England. With this view, de Montfort on 
the one hand invited the English to lay siege to Nantes, the capital town 
of Bretagne, assuring them that he would support them with a sufficient 
army ; while, on the other, he negotiated for a separate peace with the 
authorities who had succeeded to the government of France ; and being 
received by the French into their alliance, he desired his late allies the 
English to evacuate Bretagne, which they had entered at his request. 

Both the kingdoms indeed were at this time critically situated, which 
obliged them to submit rather to the course of events than attempt to 
direct them. Charles VI. of France, and Richard II. of England, were 
both minors. Each was under the direction of uncles, or near relations 
who quarrelled among themselves, pursued their own interests with 
little regard to those of their sovereign, and entirely neglected those 
duties they had solemnly bound themselves to discharge. 

Abroad, both kingdoms were embarrassed with factious neighbours — 
the Flemings, for example, whose numerous and continual intestine 
divisions form.ed a temptation to the French and English to take part in 
their dissensions. Philip d'Artevelle, son of a celebrated demagogue 
in Flanders, was chosen leader of a factious party at Ghent, who had 
taken arms against the earl of Flanders in consequence of some pro- 
posed alterations in the channel of the river Lys. The revolt became 

- What is said of the two Popes ? Of the duke of Anjou ? What is said of the 
English? Of Buckingham ? Of de Montfort? What were (lie respective situa- 
fiojis oi'Frunce and England ? 01" Flanders I What is said of d'Artevelle ? 



142 PARISIAN INSURRECTION QUELLED. 

an insurrection, and thus were the earl of Flanders and the citizens of 
his towns in open arms against each other. The French, espousing- the 
cause of the earl, dispatched forces to his assistance, and the English 
sent to Calais an army to assist d'Artevelle and the insurgent citizens. 

The war was conducted with great vigour on the part of the French ; 
yet Philip d'Artevelle showed both dexterity and courage on this trying 
occasion. From Ghent and the confederate towns, he collected a nume- 
rous army. Those who fought under him were arrayed in cassocks of 
different colours to show the towns they belonged to : they were chiefly 
armed with pikes, and fought on foot, forming one battalion. 

After some skirmishes, the two armies encountered each other in a 
pitched battle near the town of Rosebecque (A. D. 1381). The Flem- 
ings for a time made a most desperate and gallant defence ; but as they 
were attacked by the flower of the French chivalry, headed by the 
princes of the blood, and by the king in person, they were at length 
broken by the charge of the horses and lances. As the knights and 
men-at-arms gave no quarter, twenty-five thousand men were left slain 
upon the field. 

Philip d'Artevelle fell bravely fighting ; and the victory was so well 
employed, that most of the towns submitted peaceably to the dominion 
of France, though Ghent still held out. 

From the bloody field of Rosebecque in which the power of the insur- 
gent Flemings had been broken, the young king of France hurried back 
to his own capital of Paris, which had been for a considerable time in 
mutiny against him. The Parisians had rendered their city m some 
degree tenable by building walls, digging trenches, drawing barricades 
across the streets, and thus impeding the entrance of the military ; and 
they themselves had assumed the title of maillolins or malleters, from 
the mallets with which they were generally armed. In order to over- 
awe the young king, they displayed before him this force amounting to 
thirty thousand men ; but instead of being daunted, Charles, despising 
their numbers, entered his capital by force of arms, and seized two or 
three hundred leaders of the malleters, several of whom were put to 
death. The gates of the city were also pulled down, the citizens dis- 
armed, and the insurrection for that time was completely subdued. 

England, though weakened by external losses and interna] mutiny, 
was still too powerful not to be appealed to during these times of confu- 
sion. When the Flemings were in insurrection, the English, though 
they ridiculed the idea of giving them pecuniary assistance, which d'Ar- 
tevelle required, were yet disposed to send troops to the continent to 
avail themselves of the general confusion. But when Flanders fell into 
the hands of the French, the English government blamed their own in- 
decision, and began to censure each other for not having sent timely 
succour to d'Artevelle. " Had these poor Flemings," they said, " who 
fought so well in their own rude manner, been joined but by two thou- 
sand English spears, and six thousand archers, not a Frenchman would 

Who opposed him? Who aided these parties? Describe the battle of Rose- 
becque. Who were conquered ? Who fell? What city revolted ? Who quelled 
the revolt ? How were they punished ? What is said of the English > What did 
fhey say ? 



HOSTILITIES IN FLANDEES. 143 

have escaped death or captivity. Bat though the French king has con- 
quered Flanders, we w^ill reconquer it for Richard of England." This 
induced many distinguished men, such as Sir Hugh Calverley and others, 
to join the expedition under the bishop of Norwich, although its chance 
of success was greatly diminished by the defeat of Rosebecque. 

This martial prelate took the sea accordingly, and landed at Calais 
the 23d day of April, 1383. When the English arrived at this place, 
the bishop was in great haste to march against the earl of Flanders. 
He defeated an army of thirty thousand French and Flemings in the 
French interest, and made himself master of Gravelines and Dunkirk, 
Burburgh and several other towns; and besieged Ypres, which was 
valiantly defended. The besiegers sent to the people of Ghent, who 
still remained in insurrection against the earl of Flanders, and as they 
joyfully obeyed the summons, and came in large numbers, with great 
hope of success, the siege was closely pressed. The king of France 
therefore assembled an army of twenty thousand men-at-arms, and more 
than threescore thousand of other troops, for the purpose of relieving 
Ypres. 

This news alarmed the bishop, whose force was too v/eak to abide the 
arrival of such an army : the siege was raised in haste and disorder, the 
besiegers took different routes to secure themselves; some marching 
towards Burburgh, under Sir Hugh Calverley and Sir Thomas Trivet ; 
and the rest of the army, under the personal command of the bishop, re- 
treating towards Gravelines. The party under Calverley halted for 
some time at the town of Bergues. The French host approached them 
just after they- had occupied that place. Sir Hugh Calverley was at 
first inclined to fight the French at Bergues, disdaining all difference of 
numbers ; but on better reflections, he withdrew to the town of Bur- 
burgh, which was stronger, though unfortunately the houses were most 
of them thatched, and thus liable to be set on fire. 

Here the English defended themselves valiantly for some time, until 
the king of France ordered a great number of fagots for filling the 
ditches of the place, determined to carry it by storm. A small piece of 
silver, called a blank, was paid to each peasant who should bring a fagot, 
and on these terras the ditches were soon filled. In this extremity, the 
English leaders were glad to compound for permission to evacuate the 
place safely, and return to Calais. 

The duke of Bretagne, who had borne arms in the camp of the king 
of France, now ventured to make his appearance in the character of 
negotiator for peace between France and England, a character somewhat 
singular for one who, like John de Montfort, had been unfaithful to both 
kingdoms. Neither, however, were disposed to submit to moderate 
terms ; and while the English refused to hold in vassalage of France 
the few places which they still retained in that kingdom, the French 
were equally unwilling that a foreign nation should enjoy even the 
slightest independent possession on their soil. 

What bishop did they send to Flanders with an army? Whom did he defeat? 
What place did he besiege? Who prepared to relieve it? What was the conse- 
quence? Whit her did Calverley retreat ? What befel him there ? Who appeared 
as neo;otiator ? With what success ? 



144 THE FREE COMPANIES. 

In the mean time France continued to suffer from the free companies 
or bands of armed men, of whom I have often told you. They owned 
no king or country, but assembled in towns or castles, where they lived 
by force, and at the expense of the neighbourhood. I think, however, 
you will better understand the character of this sort of persons, by a short 
account of the history and death of two of their number. 

The province of Auvergne was particularly haunted by these banditti, 
because it abounds with passes, rocks, hills, and strong-holds, of which 
they knew admirably how to take advantage in war. Several of the 
most renowned leaders had settled themselves there, profiting by all 
opportunities of rapine, and means of concealment. Two of tliese free- 
booters were distinguished above the others ; their names (at least the 
epithets by which they were distinguished in the wars) were Amergat 
Marcet.l, and Geoffrey Tete-Noire. They both professed to espouse 
the English cause, but it may be supposed that they only chose it be- 
cause it afforded the most unlimited privilege of plunder. 

Geoffi'ey Tete-Noire' obtained, by bribing a domestic, the possession, 
tor himself and company, of the strong castle of Ventadour, belonging 
to an aged earl of that name, a quiet peaceful man, whom the robbers 
dismissed without injury: such indeed had been the bargain of the 
treacherous squire, who surrendered the place. Geoffrey here prose- 
cuted his profession with great success. He was a hardy man, who 
knew neither fear nor pity, and would put to death a knight or a squire, 
as soon as a peasant ; and he was so much dreaded by his men that none 
dared displease him. This chieftain assembled a band of four hundred 
men, to whom he paid wages monthly with the utmost regularity. He 
protected the country around Ventadour, so that no one dared make in- 
cursions upon the territory. The castle was fully victualled for a siege, 
had iti been to last seven years. Nay, occasionally, to show his inde- 
pendence, Tete-Noire chose to make war on the English as well as the 
French, and this course of life he led many years, more dreaded than 
any lawful authority in the country v/here he lived. 

But when the French interest began to recover itself in these dis- 
tricts, the nobles and knights united for the purpose of besieging the 
forts and castles of which these robbers had possession, and delivering 
the country from these lawless companions. 

Accord uigly Sir William Lignac, and Sir John Bon-Lance, and many 
others, knights of Auvergne and of the district of Limosin, formed the 
siege of Ventadour, for the safety of which Tete-Noire was no way 
distressed, having plenty of ammunition and provisions. But one day 
as he was heading his men in a sally, he received a crossbow-shot in the 
face. The wound proved mortal, and soon carried off this redoubted 
bandit. The immense property he had acquired was divided among the 
band, and one of them named Allan Roux took the command ; but the 
castle was soon taken, and most of them put to the sword. 

The history of Amergot Marcell, whom we have mentioned as a 
brother in the trade of war, and an occasional partner of Tete-Noire, 

Who distressed France? What two of these freebooters were distinguished? 
Relate the story of Geoffrey Tete-Noire. Who attacked him in his castle ? How 
was he lulled ? Who succeeded him? Tell the story ol' Amergot Marcell. 



JOHN DE MONTFORt's TKEACHI]R¥4 145 

gives us a similar picture of their life. This worthy had, in like man- 
ner, acquired the strong castle of Aloys in Auvergne; whence he made 
many successful inroads upon the country, which produced him a reve- 
nue of twenty thousand florins. But about the time of Tete-Noire's 
death, the earl of Armagnac and several French lords were commission- 
ed to get these robbers out of the country, by bribery, if it should be 
necessary, since force was a dangerous and doubtful remedy. Marcell 
was, after a time, persuaded that he had better accept the offer made 
him, renounce his unlawful and violent proceedings, and by means of the 
treasure he had acquired live in future a peaceful life. In these senti- 
ments he delivered up to the earl of Armagnac the castle of Aloys, situ- 
ated in the very heart of Auvergne. He however soon returned to his 
former life, and was at length taken and executed at Paris. 

To return to our history, the duke of Lancaster, in the mean time, 
had by his extensive influence obtained the object of his ambition, and 
had sailed with twenty thousand English troops to make good his claim 
to the kingdom of Castile, lately possessed by his father-in-law, Pedro 
the Cruel, The heat of the climate, and the intemperate use of the 
wines and fruits of the country, soon spread contagious diseases among 
them. 

The French king now thought that England might be exhausted by 
the mutinies of the peasants, and the two expeditions under the bishop 
of Norwich and John of Gaunt, and that he could, with hopes of success, 
carry war into that country. Preparations for invasion were therefore 
made, with unnecessary splendour. Upwards of seven hundred ships 
w^ere prepared to transport the army which was collected for this enter- 
prise, the frame of a wooden town was put on board, which was designed 
to be taken to pieces and carried from place to place, for the king's 
lodging, should he accompany the expedition. However, the severe 
equinoctial storms of 1386 destroyed this great fleet of transports, which 
had rendezvoused in the harbour of Sluys. 

At this moment the affairs of Bretagne began to assume peculiar in- 
terest. John de Montfort, duke de Bretagne, a man of bravery and 
talent, had a difficult part to play between France and England, The 
chief opponent to his claim on the dukedom of Bretagne was Oliver de 
Clisson, then constable of France. Tlie elder son of Charles de Blois 
had married a daughter of Clisson, and this young lord displayed the 
arms of Bretagne on his banners, and in his scutcheon; thus asserting 
his claim to the duchy, in maintaining which his father had been slain 
at Aurai. The duke was so displeased with this claim that he resolved 
to be avenged. For this purpose he issued an invitation to all the nobility 
and lords of Bretagne, and especially to the constable of France, to meet 
him at a solemn entertainment. Having feasted them, the duke led 
them to a castle by the sea-shore, as if to procure their opinion of tho 
structure which he was building. The constable entered the tower at 
the duke's request, and was immediately loaded with irons. His brother- 
in-law, the lord Delaval, who saw the gate of the tower shut suddenly, 
and observed by the duke's change of countenance that something re- 

What was his fate ? What is said of Lancaster? Of the French king? What 
destroyed his fleet? Tell the story of John de Montfort's treachery. 

13 



146 CHAEACTER OF CHARLES VI, 

markable had occurred, threw himself upon his knees, ancj demanded 
mercy for the constable. "Are you willing to share his fatel" answer- 
ed the duke. "I am," answered Delaval, in more anxiety for his friend 
than for himself. " Then," said the duke, drawing his dagger, ^' you 
must be content to lose one of your eyes, for Clisson has but one" (he 
had lost the other, it must be observed, at the battle of Aurai). After a 
moment however the duke abstained from the violence he threatened, 
and caused Delaval to be apprehended, saying that he should have 
neither worse nor better treatment than his friend. He was led accord- 
ingly to a prison chamber, and loaded with three pairs of irons. Finally 
the duke accepted a ransom, amounting to the large sum of one hundred 
thousand francs, with three castles, and the town of Guyon. 

The constable's arrest deprived the king of France of that great 
officer, upon whose wisdom he chiefly relied for the successful execu- 
tion of his project against England ; but, as you have already heard, the 
tempestuous weather put an end to that expedition. The duke con- 
trived to reconcile himself with the king of France, by returning the 
sum he had extorted as the ransom of Clisson, and giving up the castles 
which he had received from him. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 
MADNESS OF CHARLES VI. 



The next year (A. D. 1387) was well advanced when the French 
king took upon himself the government of his kingdom. He assem- 
bled a council at Rheims, where he called his uncles, the dukes of 
Ben-i, Burgundy, and Bourbon, and expressing his grateful thanks for 
their services, declared himself determined to govern his kingdom in 
future by the assistance of a council of state, the members of which 
were to be selected by himself. 

The nation was not sorry to see that the duke of Bourbon was only 
included in the list of privy counsellors. The dukes of Berri and Bur- 
gundy, however, were highly offended at being excluded from power. 
The young king appeared to possess the most promising dispositions, 
but he had contracted an extravagant passion for hunting, and other 
youthful exercises, together with a love of public show and festivities. 

These failings, added to untoward circumstances, and to a melan- 
choly alteration in the state of his health, rendered Charles VI. one of 
the most unfortunate princes that ever sat upon the throne of France. 
In the commencement of his reign he was attentive to business; careful 
to render justice to those who presented petitions to him ; liberal in the 

How did this aflbct the king? How did De Montfort pacify him? When did 
the young king assume the government? What was his character? Was he for- 
tunate ? 



ESCAPE OF CLISSON. 147 

remission of taxes, and so amiable in his general deportment, that he 
acquired the surname of Charles the Well-Beloved. The principal 
officer, v.'horn he valued as much for his civil as for his warlike quali- 
ties, was the Breton lord Oliver of Clisson. The king's uncles, seeing 
a person whom they regarded as an upstart, rise into a confidence with 
their royal nephew, from which they were excluded, entertained a deep 
hatred for Clisson, and these princes are supposed to have aided the 
duke of Bretagne in escaping, so easily as he did, from the conse- 
quences of his treacherous attack upon the constable's person at the 
castle of Ermyne, and to have been concerned in a foul attempt to 
assassinate him, which took place shortly afterwards. The agent in 
this vile deed was Peter Craon, formerly remarkable as having been the 
confidant of Louis of Anjou, to whom he had proved faithless. He 
was a bold and intriguing person, and had acquired so much intimacy 
with the duke of Touraine, afterwards Orleans (the king's brother), 
that he had an opportunity of abusing it, which it was not in his nature 
to resist The king, who understood that Craon had been disturbing 
the peace of his court, by sowing discord between the duke and duchess 
of Orleans, intimated his displeasure by banishing him from Paris. He 
retired into Bretagne, of which duchy he was a native, full of indigna- 
tion against the constable, and made a desperate attempt to assassinate 
him. Though banished from Paris, Peter had still a house there, which 
lie caused to be privately supplied with armour for forty men. He in- 
troduced carefully a like number of the most desperate ruffians, and at 
last joined them himself 

One evening there was a great entertainment at court, upon which 
Craon kept a close watch in order to be apprised of the motions of his 
victim. The knights jousted in presence of the king and queen ; sup- 
per was served ; dancing ensued ; at length all departed to their homes. 
As constable of France, Clisson departed last of all. He enquired if 
he should attend upon the duke of Orleans any longer, and was dis- 
missed by that prince, who had no further occasion for his service. The 
constable was then joined by his retinue, with his horses; and with 
eight persons and two torches pursued his way through what was then 
called the street of St Catherine. Here Craon waited with his band 
of assassins to execute his purpose. They attacked the unsuspicious 
passenger, and struck out the torches. The constable naturally took 
this sudden assault to be a youthful frolic of the duke of Orleans, from 
whom he had just parted, and said, "Ah! sir, this is a bad jest; but I 
pardon your youth and love of frolic." At this, Peter Craon drew his 
sword, and cried, " Down v^^ith the constable ! I am Peter of Craon 
whom thou hast often injured ; I will now have amends !" The ruffians 
then struck at the constable and his party. The good knight defended 
himself manfully w^ith a sword scarcely two feet in length, the only 
weapon which he had, and warded off m.any blows; at length he was 
beaten down by a severe stroke on the head, and fell against a baker's 
door, which was forced open by his weight, and the baker, who was up 

What siirnanre did he acqiure? How? Who \vas his favourite ? Relate the 
Bt<J^V of Craon' a attempt on CJisso.n's Ijla 



148 THE KING S MADNESS. 

early to attend to his oven, drew the wounded man within his house. 
The assailants were the readier to make their escape, because they 
concluded that their enterprise was fully executed. The city was speed- 
ily roused, and the king himself hastened to the spot with a cloak 
around him and slippers on his feet. He ordered an instant pursuit 
after the assassins, but Peter escaped by the gate of the city which 
had been dismantled by Oliver of Clisson himself, when the king, re- 
turning from the campaign of Rosebecque, punished the city of Paris. 
The assassin afterwards retired into Bretagne ; and the king prepared 
to march into that country, as well to revenge himself of Peter Craon, 
who had been guilty of such an outrage, as to chastise the duke of 
Bretagne his protector. 

Clisson, though much hurt, recovered from his wounds. The intended 
murderer met with a sorry reception from John de Montfort ; not because 
he had attempted the deed, but because he had not executed it. " Ah ! 
Sir Peter of Craon," said the duke, " you are unhappy, that you could 
not slay your enemy when he was under your sword !" " Sir," answered 
Craon, " I think all the devils had conjured him out of my hands ! I am 
sure more than sixty blows were struck at him with swords and jave- 
lins ; he was felled from his horse, and had he not tumbled in at a half- 
open door, he liad been a dead man." The duke finally agreed to con- 
ceal Craon, as he had promised. 

The king vowed to be revenged for the foul injury he had sustained 
in the person of his constable ; though the dukes of Berri, and Bur- 
gundy, advised him to take no notice of it. He marched to the city of 
Mans with the intention of entering Bretagne, having with him his 
uncles, and his brother Orleans at the head of a gallant army. The 
march of the king was interrupted by a very singular circumstance. 
For some days ere he set out from Mans on his expedition, he had shown 
evident symptoms of occasional insanity. No persuasion however could 
induce him to relinquish the expedition, and he set off with his army, 
in the manner already mentioned. 

He rode like a man-at-arms, fully sheathed in mail, except his head, 
and having two pages before him bearing his helmet and lance. The 
armour being covered v/ith black velvet, heated him excessively. As 
he thus rode forward under a burning sim, he himself being in a deep 
reflection, a tall figure dressed in rags, and of hideous appearance, 
rushed out of a thicket, and, seizing the king's bridle, exclaimed, " King, 
whither goest thou ] Thou art betrayed !" The king's servants, who 
paid no attention to his words, suffered him to escape into a thicket, 
after having struck several blows at him. In the mean time the army 
emerged from the forest, and entered a broad plain, where the sun, at 
the height of noon, was still more oppressive than before. Here the 
pages with the spear and helmet rode close behind the king; and his 
uncles, the dukes of Berri and Burgundy, with other nobles, kept at a 
little distance, to be free of the dust which arose from so many horses. 

The page that bore the spear, falling asleep, or through negligence, 

How did Peter escape ? Who* passed between Craon and de Montibrt ? What 
is related of the king ? Relate the story of his encounter with the strange man. 



A NEW REGENCY. 149 

allowed the lance to drop upon the casque of him who bore the king's 
, helmet; which accident occasioned a great noise. The king, weak- 
ened in mind by his fever, exhausted by the heat of the sun and by the 
weight of his armour, and above all, strongly impressed by the appear- 
ance and words of what seemed to be a phantom, had sunk into a sort 
of lethargy. In this situation, the flash of the spear and the glittering 
of the armour around awakened him out of his dreaming melancholy 
into a fit of raving madness. He drew his sword, and rushing like a 
madman on the page who had caused the noise, struck him a mortal 
blow, and continued hewing at all around him with so little distinction, 
that it became obvious he was quite deranged. 

There was no other remedy but to seize upon him by main force, dis- 
arm, and bind him, and in this unhappy condition to convey him back 
to Mans, bound with cords, and exhausted by his frantic efforts ; speech- 
less, motionless, and almost lifeless. This was a melancholy conclusion 
of the expedition to Bretagne ; all thoughts of prosecuting which were 
abandoned. The king's fury was succeeded by the most powerless 
dejection; he neither moved, looked, nor spoke; and a low pulse, and 
faint degree of warmth alone indicated the remains of life. He par- 
tially recovered after some weeks' illness ; but both mind and body had 
received such a shock as was never aflerwards repaired. 

After a temporary convalescence, his insanity was brought on with 
increased violence by an accident as extraordinary as that by which his 
disease had originally been manifested. Charles was so far recovered 
as to take an interest in the festivities of his court, though not in tlie 
affairs of state (A. D. 1392). There was one night a masque of parti- 
cular splendour, in which the king himself acted a part. Six persons 
of the highest rank, the king being at the head of them, appeared dis- 
guised as Sylvans or Satyrs. Their dress consisted of canvas coats, 
pitched over, to which wool or flax was attached in loose flakes. They 
were linked together with chains, and excited general curiosity. The 
duke of Orleans approached them with a torch, in order to discover who 
the masquers were. Unhappily their inflammable dress took fire, and 
the whole group were instantly in a blaze. Linked as they were toge- 
ther, there was little chance of escape ; yet the general cry of the per- 
ishing group was to save the king ; even while they were in the agonies 
of a death so painful. The duchess of Berri, who was speaking with 
his majesty at the time the accident occurred, had the presence of mind 
and resolution to wrap the unhappy monarch in her mantle, and thus 
saved him. One of the unfortunate masquers plunged into a cistern of 
water which chanced to be near. The remaining four were so dread- 
fully burnt that they died in great agony. 

The natural consequence of so horrible an accident, was the return 
of the king's malady in its fullest force, and he never afterwards reco- 
vered the perfect use of his reason. 

It now became absolutely necessary to provide a regent ; and a quar- 
rel arose in the royal family who should be preferred to that important 

How did he manifest his insanity? How was he treated? What followed? 
Give an account of the accident at court. What was the consequence of thjs 
accident ? 

13* 



150 CLISSON AND THE DIJKE OF ERETAGNE. 

office. The duke of Orleans, and the duke of Burgundy, both laid 
claims to this eminent trust. The duke of Orleans, being the king's 
brother and heir, was legally entitled to it, and the king during his 
intervals of reason gave his opinion to this eiiect ; but though possess- 
ing great personal qualifications, Orleans vv^as certainly not a fit person 
to take upon himself such a high responsibility as the regency ; being 
much addicted to pleasure, and only twenty years of age. 

The dukes of Berri and Burgundy, uncles of the king, might enter- 
tain the next pretensions to this high office. Of these, the duke of 
Berri was oldest, but he was a man of weak mind, and unpopular from 
his mal-administration of the county of Languedoc. The duke of Bur- 
gundy was therefore raised to the regency, but not without a struggle 
between him and his nephew Orleans ; in the course of which a fatal 
quarrel took its rise between the rival branches of Orleans and Bur- 
gundy, which long distracted France, and occasioned many crimes and 
the spilling of much blood. 

The first step of this regent was to show, towards the constable Oli- 
ver de Clisson, the resentment which he had long nourished against 
him. He took an opportunity to upbraid him with having too long in- 
terfered with the affairs of the kingdom, and with having unjustly 
amassed much wealth ; therefore he desired of him to take himself off, 
if he valued the sight of his remaining eye. Clisson, apprehending 
worse treatment, retired from Paris, and took refuge upon his own ter- 
ritories in Bretagne. 

The duke of Burgundy soon afler caused Clisson to be summoned 
before the parliament of Paris, on the charge that he possessed too 
much wealth to have been honestly acquired. As the constable did not 
think proper to appear before an assembly principally composed of his 
enemie's, he was therefore exiled from France, and condemned to pay 
a fine of one hundred thousand marks of silver, and his office was con- 
ferred upon Philip of Artois, count of Eu. 

Meantime Clisson made a strong party in his native country of Bre- 
tagne, where he had great power, as his daughter had married the count 
of Penthievre, heir to the claims of Charles de Blois on that duchy. 

A cruel war commenced between Clisson and the duke of Bretagne, 
who, though sovereign of the country, found very few disposed to take 
his part in this matter ; so that Clisson twice plundered him of all his 
plate, and the duke was fain to make peace with him upon terras which 
Clisson considered advantageous. The duke of Bretagne having de- 
•sjred an interview with Clisson, and knowing well that since the trea- 
cherous arrest at Ermyne Castle, his invitation was not likely to be 
trusted without a pledge, sent one of his sons to be retained as a secu- 
rity of good faith. Clisson however sent back the hostage, and, in the 
fullest confidence of the duke's honour, kept the appointment without 
any security. John de Montfort, highly sensible of this confidence, cor- 
ceived a warm friendship for the constable, from which neither of them 
afterwards swerved. The duke of Bretagne showed his esteem for Clis- 

Who were candidates for the regency ? Who was made regent ? What was 
the consequence ? How was Clisson treated ? Who now commenced a war? 
How waf' it terminated ? What is said of CUsson and the duke after this ? 



INTERCOURSE BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND SCOTS. 151 

son by appointing' him, on his death-bed, guardian to his children ; a 
trust which he faithfully executed, in spite of the temptations by which 
he was surrounded. He was once reclining on his bed when his daugh- 
ter, the countess de Penthievre, entered the apartment, and proposed to 
her father a plan of putting the young De Montforts to death, and placing 
his grand-children in the right to the duchy. On hearing her proposal, 
the old knight raised himself in bed, and threw at her head the truncheon 
which he happened to have in his hand. Flying from this well-merited 
paternal admonition, the countess fell down stairs and dislocated her leg, 
by which accident she became lame for life. 

Clisson died shortly after, honoured, beloved and lamented, after hav- 
ing gone through so many dangers in the public service, and from pri- 
vate envy and hatred. 

The government of the duke of Burgundy was a wise, for it was a 
frugal one. In his lucid intervals, the king was amused with hunting- 
matches and other pastimes to divert his thoughts from the government 
of his kingdom, and it is said that playing-cards were invented for his 
amusement. 

By observing great economy, the duke of Burgundy pacified the peo- 
ple and reduced the taxes. He was regularly guided by the advice of 
parliament, which was convened every year. During his administra- 
tion, the public peace was not disturbed by the destructive wars with 
England, by which France had been so long ravaged. This was indeed 
rather owing to the weakness of England, than to the prudence of the 
regent 

The reign of Richard II. of England had been marked by public dis- 
cord, popular tumult, and almost every event which can render a coun- 
try incapable of foreign war. The internal transactions of France 
during this reign were merely convulsions, occasioned by the license of 
the soldiers, and at times the reviving disputes between the French and 
English vassals ; there existed also connexions with foreign powers, of 
which it is necessary to say something. 

The intercourse with the Scottish nation is worthy of some notice. 
We have already observed, that love to the French, hatred to the Eng- 
lish, and the distribution of considerable sums of money, had induced 
the Scots to attempt an invasion of England, in order to create a diver- 
sion in favour of Calais, which Edward III. was then besieging. In this 
enterprise the Scots had the misfortune to lose a fine army, and to leave 
their king, David II., prisoner in England. 

In the battle of Poictiers a body of Scottish gentry, the flower of their 
kingdom, commanded by the celebrated earl Douglas, shared the disas- 
ters of that bloody day. The French had always expressed themselves 
grateful for the assistance which the Scots had intended to give them, 
and willing to return the obligation when circumstances should put it 
in their power. The French council thought, that by assisting them 
with cavalry, they might place them upon a footing with the English. 
They therefore sent the necessary supplies to Scotland, under the admi- 

Of Clisson's daughter ? Of Chsson's death and character ? Of the duke's go- 
vernment ? Of the parliament ? What is said of England ? Of the Scotch ? Of 
P(HCtiers ? Who was sent to Scotland ? 



152 THE TUSKS. 

ral of France, John of Vienne. But the lightness, activity,' and petu- 
lance of the French were little adapted to the slow and cautious habits 
of the Scotcli. Instead of rushing on with precipitate rashness to a 
general action, as the French wished, the Scottish warriors, taught by 
experience, suffered the English army to enter their eastern frontier, 
and to do such damage as they could ; while the Scots poured a nume- 
rous army upon the western frontier of England, laying all waste, and 
doing more mischief than their own eastern provinces could possibly 
receive from the southern foe. In this species of war the French saw 
they could acquire neither fame nor profit ; and at length lost their pa- 
tience ; execrating' the poor, rude, and pitiful country of Scotland, on 
account of which they had suffered so much trouble. 

What was worse, they found great trouble in obtaining permission to 
return to France. The Scots insisted on a large sura to indemnify 
them for the expense and damage caused by their allies, and De Vienne 
himself was obliged to remain a hostage in Edinburgh, until this sum 
was paid by the, French government. The French army was soon era- 
ployed in another sort of warfare. The Turks were daily making pro- 
gress both in the Grecian empire and in the kingdom of Hungary. 
Sigismond was so apprehensive of the danger incurred from these in- 
truders, under the command of the celebrated Bajazet, who was now 
threatening the frontiers of Hungary, that he endeavoured by the most 
humble applications at the court of France to obtain the assistance of a 
body of volunteers who would merit Paradise (as he said) by combating* 
against them. Sigismond also requested assistance of other Christian 
European courts. 

John, earl of Nevers, son of the duke of Burgundy, regent of 
France, was desirous to be of this expedition, and lord Guy of Tre- 
mouille ^wished to accompany him. The regent yielded a reluctant 
consent. The news being generally spread, a great impression was 
made upon all the true sons of chivalry, who flattered themselves with 
conquering the East and surpassing all other crusades. 

The army which assembled on this occasion (A. D, 1395), amounted 
to more than one hundred thousand men, and Sigismond proudly ex- 
claimed — "Why should we fear the Turks'? if the heavens themselves 
should fall, we are numerous enough to uphold them with our lances." 

The king of Hungary levied what forces he could, and moved for- 
ward with his allies, so that they might the sooner come to deeds of 
arms. They crossed the Danube, and formed the siege of Nicopolis, 
which was garrisoned by the Turks. Bajazet, in the mean time, had 
raised a very large army, with which he approached the camp of the 
besiegers. A party of Christians reconnoitring, brought news that the 
Turks were advancing, but gave no exact account of their numbers or 
disposition. The Christians instantly took arms. The French claimed 
the honour of making the onset, and they were drawn up in front of 
the centre of that part of Bajazet's force which was open and un- 
covered. 

What followed? What were the French army now employed about? What 
was llteii- number ? Wlio commanded them ? Who opposed them ? 



BAJAZET DEFEATS THE CHRISTIANS. 153 

The king of Hungary's marshal then advised the strangers to halt, 
and keep their ground, until a reconnoitring party which Sigismond had 
sent out, should bring more exact intelligence than they had yet re- 
ceived, concerning tlie enemy's force. The Hungarian had scarcely 
turned his horse ere Philip of Artois, constable of France, commanded 
his banner to advance, in defiance of the advice received. The lord of 
Coucy, a knight of great fame, considered this presumptuous, and, 
looking to the admiral of France, John de Vienne, demanded what was 
to be done : " Sir," answered the veteran, " where reason cannot be 
heard, pride must reign ; since the constable will needs advance, we 
must follow and support him." They rushed forward, therefore, on 
what appeared to be the main body of the Turkish army, which retired 
before them, according to their sultan's previous commands. In the 
mean time, as the French advanced upon the centre, two strong wings, 
on either flank of the Turkish army, which had been hitherto con- 
cealed, threw themselves in the rear, and cut the French chivalry off 
from the main body of the Hungarians. This manoeuvre was executed 
with the rapidity of lightning. The Hungarians seeing many of the 
French horses return without riders, concluded that their van-guard 
was defeated, fell into great disorder, and fled. The Turks, whose ar- 
mies consisted chiefly of cavalry, made great havoc in the pursuit. 
The king of Hungary, with the grand master of the Hospitallers, es- 
caped with difficulty ; and the slaughter and carnage among the Hun- 
garians and their auxiliaries was very great. 

Bajazet took possession of the king of Hungary's tent, and with the 
usual caprice of a barbarian, evinced at first a desire to be civil to and 
familiar with such nobles as were brought prisoners to his presence ; 
but when he came to view the field of battle, and saw the loss of his 
best and bravest Turks, his tiger propensities began to show themselves. 
He caused to be selected some of the knights, who were of the highest 
rank, and likely to pay the best ransom ; the rest were then stript to 
their shirts, and brought before him to be put to the sword. Bajazet 
looked upon his prisoners for a few moments as a wild beast beholds his 
prey, and then made a sign to his soldiers, in obedience to which they 
commenced the work of destruction, and the unfortunate prisoners were 
hewn to pieces without compunction. 

The sultan then caused to be brought before him, the earl of Nevers, 
and asked him, which of three knights he would wish to despatch 
to Paris with the information of his captivity. The earl fixed upon 
Jacques of Helley, who had been formerly prisoner to the Saracens, and 
whose knowledge of their language and manners had been of great ser- 
vice to his countrymen ; the two other knights were put to death. The 
arrival of Sir Jacques at Paris with such dismal tidings, threw almost 
the whole kingdom into mourning. The regent duke of Burgundy was 
the only person who experienced any comfort in the general distress ; he 
contrived to extort from the French people a much larger sum for his 
son's ransom, than was actually paid to Bajazet. 

What events preceded the battle ? What was the consequence of Philip of 
Artuis's imprudence ? How did Bajazet treat his prisoners ? Who was sent to 
France with the news ? What was its effect? Who profited by it? 



154 THE DUKES OF ORLEANS AND BURGUNDY. 

Thus closed the fourteenth century upon the kingdom of France, 
leaving it a prey to disorders caused by conflicting* interests. A dawn 
of hope however began to break upon the political horizon of Gallia. 
The dissensions between the English houses of York and Lancaster 
commenced, and were likely so far to occupy the attention of the English 
nation, as to prevent the recommencement of a war which had been long 
the scourare of both nations. 



CHx^PTER XXIX. 
FACTIONS OF ORLEANS AND BURGUNDY. 

Our last chapter left France in a situation equally extraordinary and 
disastrous. The unfortunate monarch Charles VI. was so incurably affect- 
ed with his disorder, that only from time to time, a gleam of reason 
enabled him to express an opinion on politics, which those who had the 
nearest access to his person never failed to mould to their own purposes. 
His person was strictly secluded, and during his incapacity, the tw^o fac- 
tions of Orleans and Burgundy contended with the most bitter strife 
for the power of government. 

The queen Isabella, wife of Charles VI., an ambitious and violent 
woman, espoused the interest of the Orleans party, with a warmth 
whicli, as the duke was a libertine young man, was prejudicial to her 
reputation. 

Each of these factions took the most violent and unscrupulous means 
of doing whatever might injure their rivals in the public opinion. In 
the mean time, the peace of France was threatened, from without, while 
the country was a prey to discordant factions. A contract of marriage 
between Richard II. of England and Isabella, the young princess of 
France, had promised along and solid peace to both nations; but the 
dethronement and death of Richard (A. D. 1399) dissipated all these 
happy prospects. The French princess was still residing at the court 
of England ; and although her proposed husband W'as dethroned, and, it 
is believed, murdered, Henry IV. would fain have detained her there as 
future bride for his son, afterwards Henry V. But the French nation 
was incensed at the death of Richard, and therefore unfavourable to the 
proposed marriage. 

In the year 1400, during a casual absence of the duke of Burgundy 
from court, the opposite party had the art to extract from the king, tlien 
in one of his lucid intervals, a commission appointing his brother, the 
duke of Orleans, his lieutenant, and regent of the kingdom, when he 
himself should, by the visitation of God, be prevented administering the 
government. Tliis was partly obtained by the influence of the queen, 
who hated the duchess of Burgundy. But the new regent used his 
power very unskilfully. 

What pnrfips now disUirbed France? Whirh party did flieqiieon favour? Wliat 
bad h.ipiioncd in Knylan>H What happonrd in Franro in MOO !* 



onLEANS ASSASSINATED. 155 

In the quarrel betVv^een the two Popes, which still subsisted, he 
espoused the cause of Benedict, which was the most unpopular in 
France ; he likewise imposed taxes v/hich rendered his government in- 
tolerably oppressive, and caused him to be deprived of his regency by 
an assembly of the great men of the kingdom. Both dukes then took 
arms, and a civil war seemed inevitable ; when, by the interference of 
the dukes of Berri, and Bourbon, and other princes of the blood, it was 
declared that both Orleans and Burgundy should be excluded from the 
government of the kingdom. It was then vested in the council of state, 
over which the queen presided. Philip, duke of Burgundy, soon after 
died suddenly, upon a journey, so very much embarrassed by debts, that 
his duchess renounced any share in his moveable succession ; and in 
testimony of her doing so, laid in the coffin of the deceased prince, the 
keys of his household, and the girdle at which she had worn them. 

John, duke of Burgundy, who succeeded Philip, was called the Fear- 
less. He inherited the animosities which had existed between his 
father and the other princes, and like his father,Jie had the address to 
secure a very strong party in the city of Paris. In consequence of the 
dissensions which followed, the dauphin, a young man, of weak mind, 
fled with his mother towards Melun, but was pursued by the Burgundian 
party and brought back by force. 

Each prince now assumed a device. Orleans, to indicate his right to 
the regency, displayed a hand grasping a club full of knots, with the 
motto- — / envy it. — Burgundy, on the other hand, chose a carpenter's 
plane, with a flemish motto — le houd — that is — / hold — the means of 
smoothing the knotted club. 

Mutual friends and relatives once more interfered, and brought the 
contending parties to a solemn agreement, (A. D. 1405). They dismiss- 
ed their troops ; met together in the hotel of the count de Saint-Paul ; 
embraced each other, and took the sacrament. They were now em- 
ployed for a short time in the public cause, the one against the English 
in Guienne, the other against Calais ; but the campaign was closed by 
a truce of one year's duration. The smothered enmity of the two 
dukes became more and more bitter, and at length the duke of Bur- 
gundy meditated ending the feud by putting his rival to death. On the 
23d November the duke of Orleans, being at the queen's apartments, 
where he usually spent the evening", was summoned to wait on the king 
immediately. As he was going, in obedience to the summons, mounted 
on a mule, and attended by two gentlemen only, and a few valets on 
foot, he fell into an ambush posted for the purpose of assassinating him. 
The leader of these ruffians was one D'Hacquetonville. This man 
struck at the duke with his battle-axe ; the blow fell on his right hand 
which it struck off. " / am the duke of Orleans,^'' cried he. " It is he 
whom we seek,''^ answered his assassins with wild exultation; and 
striking the prince from his saddle, they cut him limb from limb. They 
had taken every precaution to ensure the perpetration of the murder, 

How was Orleans deprived of the regency? What followed ? Who took charge 
of the government ? Who died ? What was done by his widow ? What by John 
the Fearless ? What by the Dauphin ? What were the devices of Orleans and 
Burgundy ? When and how were they reconciled ? What followed ? 



156 CABOpiIINS AND ARMAGNACS* 

and their own escape. The streets were strewed with caltrops, for 
laming- the horses of such as should attempt a pursuit ; a house was set 
on fire by the assassins, who cried " Fire, fire 1" to distract the attention 
of the people from the cries of " murder ! murder !" which were uttered 
by the retinue of the duke of Orleans. 

In the morning the body was discovered, dreadfully hacked and dis- 
membered : the duke of Burgundy at first afteCted innocence and sur- 
prise ; but on a threat to arrest some of his followers, he showed such 
signs of guilt, that the princes of the blood advised him to retreat from 
Paris to his own dominions, which he did with much precipitation ; and 
finding his party willing to support him, he assembled an army, and 
advanced upon Paris, having with him, as an apologist, a doctor in 
theology, named John Petit, who, in the face of the Dauphin, and 
princes of the blood, arraigned the late duke of Orleans as a traitor, 
and shamelessly justified the duke of Burgundy for the vile murder ac- 
complished on the body of his near relation. The duke demanded, and 
obtained, of the Dauphin a full pardon for the murder of Orleans; but 
no sooner had Burgundy left Paris with his forces, to quell an insurrec- 
tion in Flanders, than the Orleans party took arms in the capital, de- 
termined to revenge the foul murder. 

The number of the duke of Burgundy's enemies was rapidly aug- 
mented by the appearance of Valentina, the widowed duchess of the 
victim ; she was followed by all her household in deep mourning. Her 
premature death, supposed to be caused by the dreadful fate of her hus- 
band, prevented her prosecuting her revenge, and added to the execra- 
tions bestowed on his assassins. 

-The duke of Burgundy was accused before the parliament of Paris; 
the pardon he had obtained from the dauphin was declared void, and the 
doom of treason was denounced against him. Hardly had sentence 
been pronovmced when news arrived that he was approaching Paris at 
the head of an army, breathing defiance against his enemies. 

The city of Paris, and the country of France were now divided into 
two violent factions, who distinguished themselves by badges to desig- 
nate their parties. One wore red sashes, with the cross of St. Andrew, 
and were called Cabochins, from Caboche, a butcher, a distinguished 
partisan of the Burgundian party : the followers of Orleans wore white 
sashes with St. George's cross, and termed themselves Armagnacs, from 
the earl of that name, the father-in-law of the duke of Orleans. The 
Parisians took up arms as Cabochins ; and a body of butchers were tlie 
most active in the cause of Burgundy. 

The Orleans party moved upon the capital and threatened Paris with 
a siege. But the duke of Burgundy threw himself into the city with 
a body of troops, part of whom were English, with which nation the 
duke had made a league. These auxiliaries were commanded by the 
earl of Arundel, and conducted themselves with such good discipline, 
that they were of great service to the cause they espoused. 

Relate the circumstances of Orleans's death. What is said of Burgundy ? IIow 
wat< he treated by the Daui)hia ? Whither did he go? Vvliat took place in his 
absence' What on his return? How were tiie parties distinguished? Who 
tlirealened Paris ? Who defended it ? What auxiharics helped Burguntly } 



THE MOB OF PARIS. 157 

The Orleans faction, who remarked this advantage of the opposite 
party, made such advantageous offers to Henry IV. of England, that he 
was induced to send them assistance, and he accordingly dispatched to 
Prance, 18th May, 1412, a thousand men-at-arms, and three thousand 
archers ; and his younger son Thomas of Clarence, was to be appointed 
general of the auxiliary army. 

Amid these preparations, in which the horrors of foreign invasion 
were added to those of civil war, Charles VI, awakened from a long fit 
of stupor, and became sensible, as he sometimes was for intervals, to 
the distresses of his kingdom. His indignation was great at finding 
the Armagnac party far advanced in a treaty, the principal article of 
which was the introduction of an English army into France. 

Greatly displeased therefore with the dukes of Berri and Bourbon, 
and others of the party, Charles marched in person against them, and 
besieged the city of Bourges, which was one of their strong-holds. The 
besieged made a desperate sally with the view of taking prisoners king 
Charles and his eldest son Louis. In this they were disappointed, and 
found themselves so hard pressed in their turn, that they were obliged 
to submit to conditions dictated by the king, in which both parties, Ar- 
magnacs, and Cabochins, were forced to renounce their leagues with 
the English. 

The English arrived in the mean time under the duke of Clarence, 
and were not easily dismissed. The Orleans party, by a large sum of 
ready money, and the promise of a much larger, persuaded the English 
prince to withdraw, after having done considerable damage to the 
country. 

Peace being thus apparently re-established, there seemed to be some 
chance of healing the bleeding wounds of France ; but the utter disre- 
gard of the ordinary bonds of faith between man and man, soon threw 
all into confusion. The dauphin, Charles, heir of the crown, now began 
to take a decided part, independent of his mother, the queen. He hated 
the duke of Burgundy, and discovered, or perhaps pretended to discover, 
that he had laid a plan for destroying the remaining branches of the 
house of Orleans. The informer was a certain Pierre des Essards, who 
had been a creature of the duke of Burgundy. He received orders 
from the dauphin to secure the Bastille, then considered as the citadel 
of Paris. 

Burgundy counteracted so effectually the scheme of the dauphin, that 
des Essards had no sooner possessed himself of the Bastille, than all 
Paris was in uproar. The mob, commanded by Caboche the butcher, 
took arms, and des Essards, obliged to surrender the citadel, was seized 
and put to death. There were also killed some persons in high ofHce 
about the dauphin's person, and the king with the dukes of Berri and 
Bourbon, was compelled to go to the parliament wearing red hoods, the 
emblems of the Burgundy party. 

Impatient of mob-tyranny, which is of all others the most difficult to 
endure, the dauphin took measures for recalling the Orleans party. 

. Who aided Orleans ? Wfiat is said of Charles VI. ? Whom did he reduce to sub- 
mission ? How were the English got rid of? What is said of the Dauphin ? 
Whom did he attack ? How ? What was the result ? 

14 



158 BATTLE OF AZINCOURT. 

They entered Paris, and Burgundy finding himself unable to make a 
stand, retired to his own territories in Flanders. 

The queen, the dauphin, and the lords, who had thus obtained power, 
could not agree ; so Isabella induced most of them to unite against the 
authority of her son, whom she described as a giddy youth, unlit for 
power. The queen even broke into the dauphin's apartments, and 
seized upon four of his attendants who she said were agents of the duke 
of Burgundy. The young prince was so highly offended at this per- 
sonal insult, that he wrote to Burgundy, that he was prisoner in his own 
capital, and invited him to come with his forces and deliver him. 

A slighter invitation would have brought the duke to Paris; and he 
instantly advanced at the head of a large force of his own vassals. 
Charles however had resumed for a short time the reins of government, 
and he immediately sent forth an edict, reproaching the duke with the 
murder of Orleans. The dauphin who seems to have been fickle and 
uncertain, had by this time changed his party, and invited the Orleans 
faction into" the city ; with so strong a body of horse, that they were 
able to disarm the citizens. He also took from the Parisians the chains 
and barricades with which they were accustomed to block up their 
streets, and once more put it out of their power to disturb the public 
tranquillity. The duke of Burgundy advanced in the meantime towards 
the city, but finding the state of the capital unfavourable, and being 
deserted by the dauphin, he abandoned his enterprise. 

The king, surrounded by all the princes of the blood-royal, except the 
lineage of Burgundy, marched into Artois, the territory of the duke, 
with the purpose to subdue it ; and Burgundy, alarmed at findmg him- 
self deserted by his subjects, beg'an to negotiate for a peace. It was 
concluded accordingly, and this time appeared to possess a fair chance 
of being permianent. 

But it was not long the pleasure of Heaven to protect the state of 
foreign peace, which France had enjoyed during her domestic divisions. 
Henry IV. of England, an unpopular king, could not, owing to disturb- 
ances at home, profit by the disunion of the French. But tJiat English 
king had just died, and was succeeded by his son the celebrated Henry 
v., a young hero beloved by the nation, and who breathed nothing but 
invasion and conquest against his neighbours. 

In 1415 he landed in Normandy and took Harfleur : the siege of which 
cost him so many men that he was obliged to retire before the French 
who followed him. The Eng'lish retreated towards Calais, closely pur- 
sued by the French under the constable d'Albret. Henry at last arriv- 
ing at a favourable position, made a halt, and the French commander 
attacked him furiously, though the nature of the ground prevented him 
from availing himself of his immense superiority in forces. The English 
fought desperately, and, taking advantage of the blunders of the enemy's 
commanders, gained as brilliant a victory as at Cressy, though fighting 
against an army of four times their own number. 

Who was driven from Paris? What was done by the qneen? The dauphin? 
The king? The duke of Burgundy ? How was he inlimidated ? Did he make 
peace ? Who was now king of England ? ^Vhat was his character ? When aud 
where did he laud ? Describe his operations. 



CONTINUED DISSENSIONS IN FRANCE. 159 

The loss of the French at this battle, which took place near Azin- 
court, was seven princes, the constable, and eight thousand privates 
killed : the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, many nobles and others made 
prisoners. 

Henry however agreed to a truce and retired ; but France, though 
delivered from a powerful foreign enemy, was still a prey to civil dis- 
cord. The count d'Armagnac had obtained the post of constable : he 
united his forces with the Dauphin. The queen, on her side, united 
with the duke of Burgundy, and each of these two parties pretended to 
govern the nation ; the Dauphin holding a parliament at Poictiers, and 
the queen taking the title of regent, and assembling a parliament at 
Troyes. After some time an interview was proposed between the Dau- 
phin and the duke of Burgundy, to procure a reconciliation. They met 
on the bridge of Montereau, and during the interview Burgundy was 
assassinated by one of the Dauphin's people. This set all in flames 
again; the queen united with the young duke of Burgundy, and during 
these commotions, the English having profited by the divided state of 
the country, and taken Rouen and Pontoise, now marched to join the 
queen at Troyes. 

Soon after his arrival, a treaty was concluded, by which Henry ob- 
tained in marriage the French princess Catherine. He was also declared 
regent of France and heir to the crown ; the Dauphin having been 
declared an enemy to the state. 

Henry soon after made his triumphal entry into the French capital : 
he did not hov/ever live long to enjoy his honours ; on his death-bed 
he named his eldest brother, the duke of Bedford, regent of France. 
The unfortunate Charles survived him but two months. None of his 
family were seen at his funeral, but the spectators showed their sympa- 
thy by shedding abundance of tears. 



CHAPTER XXX. ^ 
REIGN OF CHARLES VU. (1422). 



JOAN OF ARC. 

Paris, and indeed three-fourths of France, was at this time under the 
dominion of the English. The Dauphin had retired beyond the river 
Loire and taken the title of Charles VH. ; but he thought more of his 
pleasures than of his kingdom. Fortunately for Charles, a misunder- 

How^ many of the French fell at Azincourt ? What was now done by Henry ? 
How were the parties divided in France? How did they act? Under what cir- 
cumstances was Burgundy killed? Who profited by these commotions? Who 
married Princess Catherine? What king died soon after? What was now the 
situation ef France ? 



160 JOAN OF ARC. 

standing between the duke of Burgundy and the English prevented the 
latter from increasing their power : in addition to which they received 
a severe check from a very extraordinary circumstance. 

The duke of Bedford was besieging Orleans, when suddenly a young 
country-girl in Lorraine, named Joan of Arc, declared that she had had 
several visions, and that she was excited by divine inspiration to drive 
the English from Orleans, and to conduct Charles safely to Rheims 
where he should be crowned. 

She was interrogated ; and her answers inspired such confidence that 
the command of the place was given to her. She appeared at the head 
of the troops in a brilliant uniform, and communicated such enthusiasm 
that they fought with irresistible bravery, and soon forced the English 
to abandon the siege. She then conducted Charles to Rheims, a distance 
of about eighty leagues, through a country in possession of the enemy, 
whose panic was equal to the enthusiasm of the French ; the latter con- 
vinced that they were defended by Heaven, and the former that they 
were attacked by Hell. 

The Dauphin being crowned as Charles VII., the maid of Orleans (as 
she was then called) said she had accomplished her mission, and request- 
ed leave to retire. She was however detained ; but her enthusiastic 
confidence had vanished, and with it her good fortune. She was wound- 
ed and taken prisoner, at Compiegne, by the duke of Burgundy ; he 
delivered her to the English, who, to their eternal disgrace^ burnt her 
at Rouen as a witch. 

This execrable cruelty, and the general haughtiness of the duke of 
Bedford, so disgusted the duke of Burgundy (Philip the Good) that he 
abandoned the English. The Dauphin awoke from his reverie, and, 
with the assistance of his able generals, the constable Richemont and 
Dunoisj a natural child of the duke of Orleans, took town after town till 
nothing was left but Calais, in possession of the enemy. The latter 
years of Charles's reign might have been happy had they not been em- 
bittered by the indocility of his son Louis (afterwards Louis XI.) whose 
bad conduct, it is said, hastened the death of his father, which happened 
in 146L 



CHAPTER XXXL 
REIGN OF LOUIS XI. (1461). 



Louis, the son of Charles VIL, succeeded his father, and is said to 
have possessed all the qualities that can render a man, and particularly 
a monarch, detestable. Cruel, superstitious and hypocritical, his policy 
was founded on oppression and deceit. He was very jealous of the 
nobles, and continually occupied in diminishing their power ; the conse- 

Give an account of Joan of Arc. Of what place did she take command ? What 
ensued? When did she desire to retire? What was her liite? What events fol- 
lowed ? What was the character of Louis XI. ? 



161 




Dea^h of Joan of Arc. 

14* 



I 



164 




Louis XI. and his Astrologer. 



CHAELES OF BUKGUNDY. 165 

ijuence was a league formed against him, at the head of which were 
Charles, son of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy ; the dukes of Berri, 
Bourbon, and Bretagne. Charles of Burgundy was from his impetuous 
courage called the Bold. 

A battle was fought between the leaguers and the king's forces, in 
which the latter were so roughly handled that Louis thought fit to make 
a peace ; but it was only for the purpose of gaining time to circumvent 
his adversaries. He secretly endeavoured to excite a rebellion against 
Charles the Bold among his subjects the Liegeois, and, to lull him into 
a deceitful security, Louis had an interview with him at the strong town 
of Peronne. Previously to setting off for that place, he had sent pri- 
vate emissaries to Liege, to excite the people of that town against their 
bishop and government, not calculating upon the explosion taking place 
while he was at Peronne. It did so, however, and the news was brought 
to Charles that the Liegeois had risen and murdered their bishop. This 
so exasperated him, that he caused Louis to be immediately imprisoned 
in the castle of Peronne, suspecting him as the instigator of the revolt. 

The scenes that now took place in the apartments of these two 
remarkable men, may serve to elicit their characters better than an indi- 
vidual description of them. Charles, believing himself deeply aggrieved, 
was yet fully aware that he had been guilty of a great breach of honour 
in imprisoning a man, who had come unprotected into his power, on the 
understanding that their meeting was to be a peaceful one. For three 
days and nights he found no rest — his angry passions and accusing con- 
science conflicting with one another, and by turns harassing him. His 
companion, during these hours of mental strife, was the famous histo- 
rian Comines, and, aided by his advice, Charles's good feelings got the 
mastery, and Louis was released. Far different was the state of things 
in the French king's apartment. No good feelings came to cheer his 
hour of adversity. He only turned with anger against the astrologers, 
who, he said, had deceived him, and led him into the hands of his ene- 
mies. Galeotti, his chief adviser in this science, was imprisoned with 
him, and quietly listened to the violent language of Louis; and when 
the monarch tauntingly asked him if he could name the hour of his 
own death] " Sire," he replied, "I only know it will take place exactly 
twenty-four hours before your own." This artful answer obtained for 
him no small advantage ; for from that hour Louis took the greatest care 
of him. 

No sooner was Louis released from captivity, than Charles insisted 
upon his accompanying him to witness the punishment of the Liegeois. 
It must have been a bitter sight, even to this ruthless man, to observe 
the pillaging of the town, and the massacre of the inhabitants, when he 
himself was the cause. 

The duplicity of Louis, and the impetuosity of Charles, caused con- 
tinual wars, notwithstanding the frequent treaties between them. It 
was on one of those occasions that the Burgundians laid siege to Beau- 
vais, where, the garrison being weak, the town was in great danger. 

Who conspired against him ? What followed ? Give an account of his visit to 
Charles, and its consequences. Of the siege of Beauvais. 



166 CRUELTIES OF LOUIS. 

Suddenly however the women rose in a mass headed by the celebrated 
Jeanne Hachette, and soon compelled the besiegers to retire. To 
commemorate their bravery, there is a procession every year, at Beau- 
vais, in which the women take the lead. 

You may easily imagine that such a man as Louis could have very 
few friends : he was surrounded by creatures of the worst description, 
who only attached themselves to him because they thus found opportu- 
nities of exercising and satisfying their brutal passions. Lord Byron 
says, in speaking of Giaffir in the Bride of Abydos : 

" Such still to guilt just Alia sends, 
Slaves, tools, accomplices; no friends." 

Among the instruments of his tyranny and cruelty was one who ren? 
dered himself very conspicuous by his promptitude in executing the 
cruel orders of Louis, and by his ingenuity in inventing new modes of 
punishment. This was Tristan I'Hermite, the grand provost. There 
was also a very bad man, named La Balue, whom the king had raised, 
for his vile services, to the rank of cardinal. Like most bad men he 
was incapable of fidelity to any one. Louis discovered that he had be- 
trayed some of his secrets ; he therefore had him thrust into an iron 
cage in a dungeon, where he dragged on a miserable life during eleven 
years. You must reniark that it was La Balue himself who had re- 
commended to Louis this barbarous kind of imprisonment for his cap- 
tives. 

The crimes of Louis XL had caused him so many enemies, and ren- 
dered him so suspicious, that he did not think himself safe at Paris : he 
therefore retired to the castle of Plessis -Us -Tours, on the banks of 
the Loire. The castle was soon fortified in the strongest manner, and 
in the avenues leading to it were gins, traps, pitfalls, and other ma- 
chines to destroy the unwary who should approach too near the fearful 
monarch. Among other acts of cruelty, Louis put to death the duke 
of Nemours, and it is said obliged the duke's two sons to witness the 
execution ; after which they were confined in iron cages, where, after 
suffering many cruelties, one of them died, but the other outlived the 
barbarous king, and was liberated. Louis was even jealous of his son 
the Dauphin, and caused him to be brought up in retirement, refusing 
him a suitable education. Being asked if he should not learn Latin, he 
replied, " All the Latin necessary for him to know is the phrase — Qui 
nescit dissimulare, nescit regnare." 

Charles the Bold, whose ambition and temerity equalled the cautious 
cruelty of Louis, at length fell a victim to those passions. He already 
possessed Burgundy, Artois, Flanders and the greater part of Holland ; 
but being desirous to obtain more extensive dominion, he marched 
against the Swiss and was beaten by them at the battle of Granson. 
His baggage and equipage fell into the hands of the enemy, and it is 
said that the Swiss were so ignorant of luxury, that his silver plate 
was sold as old pewter, and a very valuable diamond passed from hand 

Give an account of his favourites. Of his castle on the Loire, and its uses. Of 
his treatment of the duke of Nemours and his sons. 



ORLEANS DEFEATED. 167 

to hand for the value of a florin. Charles was soon after beaten and 
slain at Nancy, and having- no male heir, Louis seized the duchy of 
Burgundy and united it to the crown. 

England being still divided by the factions of the white and red roses 
(the houses of York and Lancaster), was prevented from doing any- 
thing very important on the continent. The duke of Burgundy, how- 
ever, excited Edward IV. to make a descent in France and reclaim 
Guienne and Normandy. Louis, by negotiation and by great sums of 
money distributed among the English ministers, bought a truce of seven 
years. It was by means of large distributions of money that Louis 
maintained his policy, and consequently he was obliged to increase the 
taxes considerably ; but he told the French that he took their money to 
spare their blood. 

Notwithstanding the bad qualities of this king, France is indebted to 
him for some useful establishments. The post for letters was instituted 
in his reign ; he encouraged printing, which then began to be gene- 
rally known, and he placed the monarchy of France on a firmer base 
than it had yet been. 

As he advanced in age he became more superstitious and mistrustful : 
at length, bodily indisposition, added to mental disorders, carried him to 
the grave in 1483, at the age of 60. - ~ 



CHAPTER XXXn. 
REIGN OF CHARLES VIII. (1483). 



At the death of Louis XI. the Dauphin was but thirteen years old ; 
his eldest sister, Anne duchess of Beaujeu, was therefore appointed re- 
gent during his minority. This caused a civil war, for the duke of Or- 
leans aspired to the government ; but unsuccessful in his intrigues, he 
united v/ith the duke of Bretagne in open revolt; a battle was fought 
between the king's troops and those of Orleans, near St. Aubin ; the 
duke was defeated and taken prisoner. He remained in captivity 
during three years, when the king, having attained the age of govern- 
ing, liberated him without further punishment. 

The duke of Bretagne dying without male heir, his daughter Ann 
succeeded to the duchy. There was a mutual attachment between the 
duchess Ann and the duke of Orleans ; but in order to unite Bretagne 
to the crown, a marriage was proposed between her and Charles VIII., 
and she became, against her will, queen of France. 

Margaret of Austria, daughter of Maximilian, had been betrothed to 

Of the ruin of Charles the Bold. What was passing in England ? How did 
Louis avert an English invasion? For what is France indebted to Louis XI. ? 
When did he die ? Who succeeded Louis XI. ? Who was regent ? What is said 
of the civil war ? Of the duke of Bretagne ? Whom did Charles Vlll. marry ? 



168 WAR IN ITALY. 

Charles, and was even brought up at the court of France : the intended 
union was broken off, and her father took arms to revenge the insult ; 
being, however, badly supported, he gained no advantage. Charles, 
however, having been persuaded to enforce some pretended claims upon 
Naples, restored to Maximilian the free county of Artois, which Louis 
XL had seized, and thus got rid of this adversary. 

Charles then marched against Naples, and though his army was in- 
considerable, their bravery spread terror among the Italians, and the 
city was soon in the possession of the French. The monarch, however, 
instead of profiting by his good fortune, and taking measures to secure 
his conquest, abandoned himself to pleasure, leaving his affairs to men 
who were incapable of conducting them. His enemies took advantage 
of his negligence. They raised forces on every side, and Charles found 
his situation becoming so critical that he resolved to return to France : 
he therefore commenced his retreat with the remains of his army, ex- 
cept a small garrison of about four thousand men. 

The enemy were determined to cut off his retreat, and, having col- 
lected an army of about thirty thousand men, prepared to attack the 
French, whose numbers were reduced to seven or eight thousand. This 
battle took place at Fornoue, and notwithstanding the numerical infe- 
riority of Charles's troops, their bravery obtained them, in less than an 
hour, so complete a victory, -that they were enabled to continue their 
march in safety. 

The weak garrison that had been left at Naples could not long resist 
the superior forces by which they were attacked, and they were at 
length driven out of Italy by Gonzalvo de Cordova, a celebrated Spanish 
general of that time. 

Charles did not long survive his defeat in Italy. He died in the 
prime of life, and all his children having died before him, he was suc- 
ceeded by Louis, the duke of Orleans. 

Charles VIII. bore an excellent character, and was therefore much 
regretted by the nation. Some very important events happened about 
this time. The mariner's compass was invented, and by its aid several 
foreign discoveries were made, the most important of which was that 
of America, by Christopher Columbus, a Genoese. Spain, which was 
divided into numerous petty states, perpetually at war with each other, 
now became a powerful kingdom by the marriage of Isabella of Castile 
with Ferdinand of Arragon. Constantinople was taken by the Turks 
under Mahomet II., which overthrew the Greek empire. 

What is said of Margaret of Austria? Of Maximilian? Of the invasion of 
Italy ? Of the battle of Fornoue ? Of Gonzalvo de Cordova ? When did Charles 
die ? What great events happened in his reign ? 



HOSTILITIES WITH SPAIN WITH NAPLES. 169 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

REIGN OF LOUIS XII. (1498). 

When the duke of Orleans came to the throne, his former enemies 
feared the effects of his resentment ; but he calmed their apprehensions 
by saying, " The king of France does not revenge the injuries of the 
duke of Orleans.'''' 

The queen dowager Ann, widow of Charles VIIL, expressed a desire 
to retire to her own country, not wishing to see the throne of her late 
husband occupied by another; but Louis, having obtained a divorce 
from his first wife, offered his hand to Ann. She accepted, and thus 
became the wife of her first lover, and a second time queen of France. 

Louis, like his predecessor, cast ambitious eyes towards Italy, and 
shortly entered it at the head of a numerous army. He obtained some 
important victories, taking Milan and Genoa. Louis then turned his 
attention to Naples, and offered to divide it with Ferdinand of Spain : 
the latter accepted the proposition, though the king of Naples was a 
relation. Gonzalvo de Cordova marched towards Naples with an army 
under pretence of assisting the Neapolitans; but he soon joined the 
French and hastened its fall. The king sought an asylum in France, 
vdiere he lived in a retired manner. 

It was in these wars that the celebrated Bayard rendered himself so 
conspicuous as to acquire Ihe title of the knight without fear or re- 
proach. 

The Spaniards, after having assisted the French in the capture of 
Naples, quarrelled with them about the division of it ; some battles en- 
sued, in one of which the duke of Nemours lost his life, and Spain 
obtained entire possession of Naples. 

About this time the Venetians, having acquired great wealth by their 
persevering commerce, began to think of enlarging their territories by 
conquest. They invaded several neighbouring places, and even took 
some towns belonging to the ecclesiastical government of Rome ; but 
an alliance was soon formed against them, and they lost what they had 
conquered, and, if the allies had been faithful to each other, Venice 
herself would have fallen a victim to their vengeance. A severe battle 
was fought near Agnadel, during which some of the officers repre- 
sented to Louis that there was great danger;, he immediately ex- 
claimed, " Let those who fear place themselves behind me." Notwith- 
standing the bravery of the French army, the duplicity of some of the 
allies obliged them to retire into France, after having wasted immense 
treasures, and shed torrents of blood. 

Who succeeded Charles VIII. ? What was his celebrated saying ? Whom did 
he marry? .What were his conquests? What is said of Bayard? Of the Spaniards? 
01" the Venetians ? Of the league ? Of the battle of Agnadel ? 

15 



ItO BATTLE OF MASIGNAN. 

Louis was obliged to use the greatest economy in order to repair his 
finances ; and among other retrenchments he either discontinued pay- 
ino-, or talked of diminishing the subsidies granted to the Swiss. That 
people took arms against the French. They entered France on one 
side, while Henry VIII. of England invaded it on another. The French 
were beaten at the battle of Guinegate, and the English, following up 
their victory, soon took Terouenne and Tournay. The Swiss w^ere not 
idle on their side; they besieged Dijon, and would have taken it had 
not the governor of Burgundy granted their demands, and thus persuad- 
ed them to retire. Louis soon after made peace with the English by 
paying, it is said, a million of gold crowns ; and to establish a better 
understanding between the two nations, he married a sister of Henry 
VIII. , but died the succeeding year. 

He bore a very good character and was much esteemed by the nation, 
being always occupied in endeavouring to lighten the burthen of his 
subjects. His courtiers frequently blamed his rigid domestic economy ; 
but he replied : / would rather hear you blame my economy, than see 
my people weep on account of my prodigality. He was a great ad- 
mirer of the arts and liberally rewarded merit. 

It is said that he always had two lists by him, one, of places or pen- 
sions that he could grant, and the other, of men whose merit deserved 
recompense. He thus obtained the title of the Father of his people. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

REIGN OF FRANCIS I. (1515). 



Francis I., count of Angouleme, who succeeded Louis XII., was 
young, animated and brave ; and like most young men in power, he 
possessed more ambition than prudence. Like his predecessors he 
aimed at the conquest of Italy, or at least of a considerable part of it. 
He therefore assembled a numerous army, and the finances not being, 
at that time, very flourishing, considerable sum.s of money were obtain- 
ed by the sale of places under government. 

Francis advanced with his army towards Italy, but when he arrived 
at the passes of the Alps he found a formidable force of Swiss prepared 
to oppose his passage. 

A dreadful battle took place, which lasted two days and one night; it 
was so sanguinary, and so hotly contested, that it has been called the 
battle of the giants, and also the battle of Marignan, because it was 
fought near that town. The Swiss were beaten, and the French enter- 
ed Italy without further opposition, making several conquests. 

Fortune however turned against them ; the brave Bayard was killed 

Of the Swiss and Henry VIII. ? Whom did Louis marry ? When did he die ? 
What was his character ? Who succeeded Louis XII ? What was his character ? 
What country did ho invade ? Give an account of the battle of Marignan. What 
ia said of Bayard ? 



171 




Death of the Chevalier Bayard. 



BATTLE OF PAVIA. ITS 

at the battle of Rebec ; the French were discouraged, and their ene- 
mies became proportionably animated. The consequence was that 
place after place was lost, till Francis, seeing the desperate situation of 
his troops, resolved to make a powerful effort to repair his losses beyond 
the Alps. He hastily raises an army, places himself at the head of it, 
rushes into Italy, and obtains some advantages : the forces of Charles 
v., then king of Spain, were assembled near Pavia to arrest the pro- 
gress of the French. Francis attacked them with impetuosity, think- 
ing to obtain an easy victory over the Spaniards ; his army was how- 
ever defeated and cut to pieces, and he himself wounded and taken 
prisoner. Francis immediately wrote to his mother, the duchess of 
Angouleme, commencing his letter by those memorable words, " Tout 
est perdu hors Vhonneur.^^ 

Charles V. offered the king of France his liberty on condition of re- 
ceiving for himself the dukedom of Burgundy ; that Provence and 
Dauphiny should be ceded to the duke of Bourbon with the title of 
kingdom, and that the provinces formerly possessed by the English 
should be restored to Henry VIII., king of that nation. Francis de- 
clared that he would die in prison rather than submit to such a degrada- 
tion, adding that if he could be base enough, kis people would never 
permit the kingdom to be so dismembered. 

Afler some time he began to reflect, and soon persuaded himself that, 
though he should enter into the engagements required by Charles, it 
might be possible, when he was once at liberty, to avoid fulfilling them ; 
he therefore signed a humiliating treaty called the treaty of Madrid, 
and his two eldest sons were given as hostages for the execution of it. 

Francis had scarcely returned to his kingdom when he declared it 
would be impossible for him to execute the treaty of Madrid, complain- 
ed of the ill treatment he had received in Spain, and finished by offer- 
ing a ransom for his sons. Charles V. insisted on the execution of the 
treaty ; Francis refused, and, with the assistance of England, began 
another campaign in Italy. The French arms were again unsuccessful, 
and Francis was compelled to sign a treaty made at Cambray, abandon- 
ing all pretensions on Italy, ceding Artois and all claims to the govern- 
ment of Flanders, and agreeing to pay to Charles V. two millions of 
gold crowns as a ransom for his sons. 

Some time after this, the emperor Charles V., exalted by his successes, 
determined to invade France. 

. He advanced, at the head of fifty thousand men, towards Provence, 
which had been trusted to the marquis of Saluces, who, instead of de- 
fending the country, traitorously abandoned it to the enemy, and the 
south of France was inundated by the imperial troops. By the prudent 
conduct of the marshal Anne de Montmorency, the invading army was 
reduced to great distress. He caused all provisions in the towns and 
villages near the seat of war to be carried off; this soon produced the 
desired effect; the army of Charles V., attacked by famine and disease, 
was compelled to make a precipitate retreat, not daring to risk a battle 

Of the battle of Pavia ? Of Charles V. ? Of Francis's magnanimity ? Of the 
treaty of Madrid ? What followed Francis's release ? What vv^ere the terms of 
Xhe treaty of Cambray ? Who invaded France ? Who successfully resisted him ? 

15* 



174 DEATH or francis i. 

v/ith Montmorency, who waited for them in a strong entrenchment before 
Avignon. 

In this manner passed several years of the reign of Francis the First, 
sometimes invading the territories of his neighbours, and at others obliged 
to defend his own against their incursions. Tov/ards the end of his 
reign, France was invaded by the united forces of Charles V. and Henry 
VIII., and, if the campaign had been well conducted, the consequences 
might have been fatal to the French; but the two armies seemed more 
occupied in taking places for themselves than in uniting their strength 
to march against the capital. Thus the sum.mcr was lost, and Charles, 
not wishing to expose his troops to the rigours of a winter campaign, 
concluded a peace without consulting Henry VIII., who soon after made 
a treaty, and left France, retaining, of all his conquests, only Boulogne, 
which he engaged to restore in eight years for the sum of 800,000 gold 
crowns. 

I must not forget, as we are speaking of Henry VIII., to tell you of a 
celebrated interview that took place between him and Francis in the 
early part of the French king's reign. They met in a field near Calais, 
and such was the magnificence of the tents and temporary palaces erect- 
ed for the occasion, that the spot acquired the name of the field of 
Golden Cloth. The nobles of the tw^o courts vied wath each other in 
magnificence, and it is said that many of them ruined themselves to 
eclipse their rivals. The two kings passed a month in pleasures of all 
kinds, and then separated with declarations of mutual esteem, as sincere 
as such declarations generally are. About the year 1-539, during a truce 
between Charles V. and Francis, there was a revolt at Ghent, and 
Charles asked permission to pasa through France to go and attack the 
rebels: it was readily granted, and he was honourably received at Paris. 
On this occasion the buffoon, or fool at the French court, appeared before 
the king with an enormous Book under his arm, and when Francis asked 
what he was going to do w' ith it, he answered, " It is to inscribe the 
names of those wdio are greater fools than I am, and I have just written 
that of the emperor Charles." "Why so]" said the king. "For ex- 
posing himself to the power of his greatest rival," replied Triboulet (the 
buffoon). " But suppose I let him pass freely 1" " O," said the fool, " I 
shall then efface his name and inscribe that of Francis I." Charles 
however passed on unmolested. 

Some time after that, the emperor having considerably augmented 
his dominions, Francis found him too dangerous a rival, and resolved to 
restore the balance of power : he therefore began to league with several 
European monarchs ; but death put an end to his projects. He paid the 
debt of nature in 1.547, at the age of 52. 

In this reign the royal printing office was established, the Louvre 
was commenced, and public acts were ordered to be written in French. 

How? What was the result ? Who afterwards invaded France ? What follow- 
ed ? WTiat is said of the treaty? Of the interview with Henry VIII. ? Of Charles 
V.'s visit to France? Of the bufTuon? Of the league? When did Francis die? 



176 




Abdication of Charles V. 



THE REFORMATION. 177 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
REIGN OF HENRY II. (1547). 

Henry, the second of that name, son of Francis I., succeeded his 
father on the throne of France : his reign was much disturbed by the 
rapid spreading of a difference in religious opinions. A man named 
Martin Luther had already preached with great effect in Germany, 
against the supremacy of the Pope, as head of the Christian church. 
He denounced also some other doctrines and ceremonies of the Catholic 
religion, and obtained great numbers of disciples. A few years after 
there appeared in France a monk named Calvin, who preached nearly 
the same doctrine as Luther, adding that it was idolatrous and profane 
to address prayers and invocations to the images in the churches. Cal- 
vin made also numerous proselytes, and the two sects having united in 
protesting against an order of a general council of bishops, calling upon 
them to renounce their errors and return to the Romish church ; having 
protested, I say, publicly against this order, they acquired the general 
title of Protestants. 

Before the accession of Henry IL, this sect had become very numerous 
in France ; many noble families had adopted its opinions, and among 
them was the brave admiral de Coligny, nephew of Anne de Montmo- 
rency, who thus rendered himself obnoxious to several nobles, and par- 
ticularly so to the duke de Guise, who, having acquired great influence 
at court, excited a persecution against the Protestants which cost many 
of them their lives. 

The war between the emperor and the French still continued to 
spread its devastations, and to swallow up immense sums obtained with 
difficulty from the people, who were tired of exhausting their riches 
and shedding their blood to no purpose. At length, both nations being 
desirous of repose, a truce for Ave years was concluded, by which the 
two monarchs were to retain their respective conquests. 

Charles V. now growing old, became tired of the fatigues and anxie- 
ties of government ; he therefore formally abdicated in favour of his 
son Philip IL, who did not, however, take the title of emperor, because 
the empire was divided into two branches, viz. the imperial branch of 
Austria, and the kingdom of Spain. Charles then retired to a monas- 
tery in Estramadura, where, in 1558, he ended his days, far from the 
noise and intrigues of court 

Soon after this the duke de Guise was recalled from a fruitless cam- 
paign against Naples, to undertake one that promised more glory. 

You know that the English had possessed Calais during a long time 
(more than two centuries), and they thought themselves so secure that 

Who succeeded Francis I. What is said of his reign ? Of Martin Luther ? Of 
Calvin ? Of the Protestants ? Of the persecution ? Of the war ? Of Charles 

V.'s resignation ? 



178 MARY STUART THE PROTESTANTS. 

they became imprudently negligent. Not fearing to be attacked in the 
winter, they used to withdraw the greater part of the garrison at the 
end of autumn. The duke of Guise profited by this want of caution ; 
he put himself at the head of an army, and without marching so di- 
rectly tov/ards Calais as to excite suspicion, approached near enough to 
attack it before sufficient preparations could be made for its defence, 
and it fell again into the hands of the French, its natural owners. This 
loss took such an effect on Mary queen of England, that she said the 
name of Calais would be found on her heart after her death. 

All parties began to wish for peace, and a treaty was concluded in 
1559. Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII., had just succeeded her sis- 
ter Mary on the throne of England ; she agreed to the treaty, leaving 
Calais to the French, on condition of restoring it in eight years, or of 
paying her five hundred thousand crowns. To strengthen the bonds of 
peace between France and Spain, a double marriage took place : Philip 
11. married the eldest daughter of Henry II,, and the duke of Savoy 
became the husband of Henry's sister. 

To celebrate these marriages, public rejoicings were given, and 
among the rest was a royal tournament in which the king, tilting with 
a knight named Montgomery, received a wound in the eye, which 
caused his death a few days after. 

Towards the end of this reign the number of Protestants increased 
considerably, notwithstanding the persecutions to which they were con- 
tinually exposed. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 
SHORT REIGN OF FRANCIS II. (1559). 

Henry II. lefl three sons, the eldest of whom, then only sixteen, as- 
cended the throne with the title of Francis the Second ; but his mother, 
Catherine de Medicis, a very ambitious and deceitful woman, governed 
the kingdom in his name, with the assistance of the Guises. 

Mary Stuart, whose misfortunes have rendered her so celebrated, had 
been educated in France ; she was at this time young and beautiful, 
and became the wife of Francis II. and queen of France. This reign, 
though very short, was a very stormy one; the Protestants became 
daily more and more powerful, and the zeal with which they were op- 
posed seemed to increase their ardour, and even to excite them to 
revenge the persecutions to which they were exposed. Admiral de 
Coligny and his brothers, nephews of Montmorency, w^ho were at the 
head of the Protestants, thus rendered themselves particularly obnox- 

Give an account of the taking of Calais. When was peace concluded 7 What 
marriages took place ? What caused the king's death ? Who succeeded Henry 
U. ? Who was his wife ? What is said of Francis's reign ? 



CIVIL WAR IN FEANCE. 179 

ious to the powerful Guises, who were among the most zealous of their 
persecutors. 

The dissenters at last finding- themselves powerful, and having* the 
support of Antoine de Bourbon and the prince of Conde, began to think 
of revenging themselves on the Guises. A plot was formed for that 
purpose at Amboise, where the court then resided ; it failed, however, 
in consequence of being betrayed by one of tbe party, and great num- 
bers of the Protestants were put to death. The prince of Conde was 
imprisoned, but no direct proofs appearing against him he was liberated. 

No sooner was he free than he publicly declared himself a Protestant. 
He was soon accused of a new conspiracy, judged and condemned to 
death, and his brother, the king of Navarre, strictly guarded. The 
Guises were on the point of triumphing, when the death of the king, 
at the age . of 17 and some months, put an end to their power. 

Mary Stuart, the widow of Francis, returned to Scotland, where 
new misfortunes awaited her. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 
REIGN OF CHARLES IX. (1560). 



Charles IX. eldest brother of Francis 11. , was but ten yeas old 
when he succeeded him on the throne. Though the commencement 
of this reign appeared auspicious, it became one of the most stormy 
and sanguinary that France had known. 

To give an appearan^ce of mercy and toleration, Conde was pardoned, 
the king of Navarre named lieutenant general of the kingdom, and 
Montmorency, who had been long in disgrace, was restored to honour, 
A very amiable and clever man, Michel de Lhopital, was named 
chancellor, or keeper of the seals. By his perseverance it is said the 
kingdom was saved from the establishment of the Inquisition, proposed 
by the cardinal of Lorraine. It was forbidden, on pain of death, to do 
violence to any one on account of his religious opinions ; tranquillity 
began to show itself, but was again disturbed by an unforeseen event. 

The duke of Guise was passing through Vassy in Champagne, where 
some protestants were assembled to hear a sermon in a barn ; some of 
the duke's people insulted them, and Guise endeavouring to appease the 
tumult was wounded by a stone. His attendants immediately fell on 
the people without mercy, and, it is said, massacred sixty of them. This 
event exasperated both parties, and they commenced their attacks in 
different parts of the kingdom. The prince de Conde put himself at 
the head of one party ; the king of Navarre commanded another, and a 
civil war commenced, in which, to the disgrace of all parties, the noble 

Of the dissenters? Of their plot? Of Conde ? When did Francis II. die ? Who 
succeeded him ? What is said of Montmorency ? Of Lhopital ? Of the duke of 
Guise? Of Conde? 



180 MASSACRE or ST. BARTHOLOMEW. 

sentiment of patriotism was sacrificed to fanatic persecution under pre- 
text of supporting that mild, consoling religion, one of whose principles 
commands us not to shed each other's blood. 

Conde took Orleans, Rouen, and several other towns : he delivered 
Havre to the English in order to obtain assistance from them. The 
king of Navarre attacked and took Rouen, but in the assault he receiv- 
ed a mortal wound. The duke of Guise besieged Orleans, and had 
made himself master of its suburbs when he was killed by one of the 
adverse party. 

In this state of things another attempt at pacification took place ; 
some concessions were made to the Protestants ; they were allowed the 
public exercise of their worship, and during this calm a sense of patriot- 
ism appeared to revive. France blushed to see the English in posses- 
sion of one of her most important ports, and Elizabeth having refused 
to give it up, except on a restitution of Calais, it was taken by force, 
and peace concluded between the two countries. 

Another civil war broke out between the Protestants and the Catho- 
lics ; a severe battle was fought near St. Denis, where the constable 
Montmorency was killed at the age of 80. A deceitful peace followed 
this, which in less than six months was succeeded by a third civil war. 

Several battles were fought, and the Protestants, having gained some 
advantages, though they paid dearly for them by the loss of Conde, who 
was killed at Jarnac, obtained, by the treaty of St. Germain, the liberty 
of conscience and eligibility to public employ. This acquisition of 
power rendered them the more obnoxious, and the more hateful to their 
adversaries, and caused an explosion fatal to many thousands of them. 

A marriage was now proposed between Margaret, the king's sister, 
and Henry, the young king of Navarre : this attracted the principal 
nobility* of France to the capital ; and as party hatred seemed a little 
calmed, Coligny and the young Conde went to witness the celebration 
of the festivals. Coligny, as he was returning home one night (the 
22d of August, 1572) was fired at and wounded by an assassin. The 
king paid him a visit of condolence and promised to punish the assassin. 

This however was but the commencement of the dreadful massacre 
of St. Bartholomew ; for in the night of the 24th, the great bell of the 
church of St. Germain I'Auxerrois gave the preconcerted signal of 
attack ; the duke of Guise, at the head of an armed band, went to the 
house of Coligny ; he rose from his bed, went, unarmed, to meet them, 
and was immediately assassinated ; his body was then thrown from the 
window and dragged about the streets by tiie infatuated populace, whose 
sanguinary rage knew no bounds ; they entered the houses of all who 
were even suspected of Protestantism ; neither age nor sex was spared ; 
houses and streets were inundated with blood, and the water of the 
Seine was polluted by the immense numbers of dead bodies thrown into 
it. The massacre was not confined to the capital ; the provinces were 
also witnesses of its horrible scenes ; though one governor has acquired 
immortal honour by replying to the murderous orders of the court, 

Of the civil war -and its events? Of the English ? Of civil war? Of Mont- 
morency? Where was Conde killed ? What happened at Paris in August, 1572? 
What on the niirht of the 24lh ? How was this massacre excused ? 



CHARACTER OF HENRY III. 181 

" Your majesty has many good soldiers and faithful subjects here, but 
I should in vain seek an «s*assm."* 

To give a colour of justice, or rather to offer some excuse for this 
horrid butchery, it was given out at court that a conspiracy aguinst the 
royal family had been discovered, and was to have been executed that 
very night. It is said, though it is hardly credible, that during this 
scene of carnage the king stood at one of the windows of the Louvre, 
armed with an arquebuss, and amused himself by firing at the fugitives. 
Charles IX. did not long survive this event ; he died in 1574, at the 
early age of twenty-four. 

The court during this reign is said to have been extremely corrupt in 
consequence of the bad disposition of Catherine of Medicis, and the 
unprincipled Italians she kept about her. 

Till now, the beginning of the year dated from Easter ; but as that is 
a moveable feast, it was thought better to commence on the first of 
January, which was done by a proclamation. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
REIGN OF HENRY III. THE LEAGUE (1574). 

Henry the third, son of Henry the second, was duke of Anjou; he 
had been called by the Polas to reign over them ; but on the death of 
his brother, preferring the crown of France, he secretly left Poland, 
hastened to Paris, and ascended the throne with the title of Henry III. 

The character of this prince was ill calculated to calm the dissensions 
and jealousies which had so long agitated the kingdom. His morals 
were depraved, and, instead of seriously occupying his mind with the 
welfare of the nation, he abandoned himself to his pleasures amidst the 
most licentious young men of the age; following their advice and 
governing by their caprice. The consequence was a confederation 
against such a government, by the Catholics on one side, who were jea- 
lous of the influence of the duke of Guise, and Catherine of Medicis ; 
and on the other side, the Protestants availed themselves of these divi- 
sions and demanded more security arid greater indulgence than they yet 
enjoyed. The king of Navarre (afterwards Henry the fourth) soon per- 
ceived that he was an object of suspicion at the court ; he quitted Paris 
and joined the Protestant party, which in this critical moment was rein- 
forced by an army from Germany. This rendered them so formidable 
that they soon obtained very favourable articles; and the Germans 
received a considerable sum of money on quitting France, 

As the Protestants obtained indulgence, so the hatred of their adver- 
saries increased, and finding the monarch more attentive to his plea- 

* The viscount d'Orthe, commandant of Bayonne. 

-When did Charles IX. die? Who succeeded him? What was his- character ? 
Who were his enemies ? 

IG 



182 CIVIL WAR. 

sures than to their interest, they formed an association called the 
League. The duke of Guise was about to be named chief of this party ; 
its aim was to overthrow the Protestants, and the members engaged 
themselves to execute their project by law, or by arms, without favour 
to any person whatever ; declaring at the same time that every one 
who refused to join the association was a traitor to his country, and 
merited no protection. The party becoming every day more formidable, 
and Guise being suspected of ambitious views, the king began to appre- 
hend danger ; he therefore convoked the States general at Blois, and 
was soon convinced, by the propositions there made, that his fears were 
not groundless. He therefore declared himself sole chief of the League, 
much to the disappointment of the ambitious Guise, who took all possi- 
ble means of exciting hatred, both against the king, and Henry of Na- 
varre ; denouncing the latter as a propagator and supporter of heresy ; 
and the former as an encourager of lieretics. . . 

The ambitious Guise, not wishing to declare himself openly against 
the king, persuaded the old cardinal de Bourbon, uncle of Henry IV., 
to place himself at the head of the League. He shortly did so, pub- 
lishing a manifesto containing his own name as chief; and those of the 
Pope, the emperor, the king of Spain and a number of Catholic princes 
as his supporters. Henry III. now found himself obliged to pursue the 
Protestants with more vigour than ever; they were ordered either to 
abjure their heresy, or to quit the kingdom in fifteen days. 

The king of Navarre, on his side, published a proclamation threaten- 
ing to retort on the Catholics whatever treatment they should inflict on 
the Protestants. The country is again plunged into civil war, a con- 
spiracy is formed in the capital for the purpose of dethroning the king 
and giving the sovereign power to Guise. 

The Jiing, rousing at last from his lethargy, assembles his troops to 
punish the leaders of the conspiracy ; he forbids Guise to enter Paris. 
The ambitious duke however, not only enters, he calls his party to arms ; 
they barricade the streets, surround the troops, and Henry is obliged to 
seek safety in flight, leaving the duke in possession of the supreme 
power ; and before the king could regain his dominion he was obliged 
to swear never to make peace or truce with the heretics, to exterminate 
heresy from the kingdom, and not to acknowledge, as heir to the crown, 
either a heretic, or a partisan or favourer of heretics : thus depriving 
Henry king of Navarre of the right of succession he had acquired by 
the death of the duke of Anjou, which made him presumptive heir to 
the throne. 

The States general were soon after assembled at Blois, and the duke 
de Guise and the cardinal his brother were both assassinated there by 
some of tlie king's party. Paris is immediately in revolt, and Henry, 
seeing no other prospect of safety, joins the king of Navarre at Tours. 
They both march against the capital, arrive at St. Cloud where they 
encamp to prepare for the attack. A messenger arrived soon after, say- 
Give an acronnt of the League. Who was its chief? Who opposed the king? 
Who declare*! hiniseli" head of the Iieagne ? How were the Protestants treated 
Who defended them? What was done by the king? By Guise ? What was 
Henry compelled to do? Give an account of the assassination of the Guises. 



184 




Henry IV. entering Paris. 



HENRY OF NAVARRE. 185 

ing he had an important communication to make to the king- ; he Was 
introduced, and while Henry was reading the letter he had given him, 
the pretended messenger plunged a knife into his body. The cries of 
the king brought the guards who immediately fell on the assassin {Jac- 
ques Clement) and cut him in pieces. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 
REIGN OF HENRY IV. <1589}. 



Hentiy expired the next day, after having declared the king of Na- 
varre his lawful successor. Henry the fourth could not however yet 
assume the government ; his reverse of fortune had caused many of 
his supporters to abandon him; his army, reduced to six thousand men, 
was forced to retire towards Dieppe, pursued by the duke de Mayenne, 
brother of Guise, with more than four times the number. 

Henry however, having rallied his troops, determined to take once 
more the offensive : he therefore marched again towards Paris and met 
his adversaries on the plain of Ivry near that city. At the moment of 
assault, Henry cried out to his soldiers, " My children, I am your king : 
there is the enemy; let your standard be my white plume, you will 
always find it in the path of honour,'''* 

The battle then commenced, and after a sanguinary struggle Henry 
IV. gained a complete victory. Immediately after this he laid siege to 
Paris^ which being soon reduced to the greatest distress by internal 
commotion and want of provisions, was obliged to open its gates to the 
conqueror, who entered the capital in triumph (1594). An attempt was 
made to assassinate him, by a man named Jean Chatel, who declared, 
when interrogated, that he thought it a meritorious act to rid the world 
of a tyrant. 

Henry IV. endeavoured to conciliate all parties ; but he soon found 
that the greater part of the nation was determined to maintain the 
Catholic faith, and that it would be impossible to reign in security if he 
did not adopt it ; he therefore publicly renounced Protestantism at St. 
Denis, and was soon acknowledged king of France. 

Henry having been excommunicated by the Pope, it was necessary 
to obtain absolution before he could think of reigning in peace. This 
was an affair of some difficulty, penance was insisted on by His Holi- 
ness, and the mildest conditions that could be obtained were that the 
French ambassadors should submit to castigation by the hands of the 
Pope. 

The Protestants, in their turn, began to torment the king, demanding 
greater toleration than they yet enjoyed, and he was so beset by them 

Of the king's death. Who succeeded Henry III. ? What was his situation ? 
What is said of the battle of Ivry ? What city did he besiege ? Wliat is said of 
Jean Chatel? Why did Henry IV. turn CathoUc ? What is said of the Popo? 
Of" the Protestants ? 

16* 



186 HENRY ASSASSINATED. 

in a journey throug-li Britanny, that lie thought it expedient to grant 
them the free exercise of their religion, and to place them upon an 
equal footing with his Catholic subjects. These articles were published 
in a proclamation at Nantes, and it received the title of the Edict of 
Nante.s. We shall see that it did not fail to excite much rancour in 
the opposite party. 

Fortunately for Henry IV., and for France, an honest, virtuous, and 
courageous man was found at court in the person of the duke of Sully ; 
the king soon named him prime minister, and had the happiness to find 
in him a frank and sincere friend. 

Before Henry's accession to the throne he had married Margaret de 
Valois, but their tempers not agreeing he had long lived separate from 
her : he now solicited, and obtained a divorce ; and having a mistress 
of whom he w^as very fond (Henriette d'Entragues), an intriguing and 
ambitious woman, she persuaded him to sign a promise of marriage. 
Henry showed the deed to Sully, who, foreseeing the danger of such a 
union, had good sense and courage enough to tear it in pieces in his 
presence. 

The king cried out in a rage, " You must be mad. Sully." — " I acknow- 
ledge it, sire," said the minister, " and I wish I were the only one in 
France." Sully immediately retired, expecting nothing less than to be 
disgraced ; he was however, on the contrary, appointed grandmaster of 
the artillery. 

Soon after this (in 1600) Henry married Marie de Medicis, who the 
next year gave him a son, afterwards Louis XIII. 

Henry was extremely fond of his children, and often partook in their 
juvenile amusements; being also very easy of access, he was one day 
surprised in a very curious position for a monarch. An ambassador sud- 
denly entering his apartment found him crawling upon all four (hands 
and knees) with his children riding on his back. The ambassador 
appeared disconcerted ; but Henry soon relieved him from his embar- 
rassment by saying, " Sir, are you a father V " I am, sire," replied the 
minister. " Then," said the king, " I need say no more." 

Some disputes and troubles in Germany, in which the interest of 
France was compromised, and its tranquillity endangered, determined 
Henry to take the field at the head of his troops, to support the national 
honour. An army of forty thousand men was assembled and waited only 
their royal commander. The queen was very anxious to be crowned, 
and Henry remained at Paris for that ceremony. The following day 
he left the palace in his carriage to go and visit Sully, when passing 
along the rue de la Ferronnerie, the way was stopped by some carts 
which prevented the king's coach from proceeding. At that moment 
an assassin named Ravaillac climbed up the side of the carriage and 
plunged a knife into Henry's heart. 

Thus died the good Henry IV. in 1610, at the age of 57 years, after 
a rei^n of about 16 years, very stormy in the beginning, but calmer 
towards its close. 

Of the Edict of Nantes ? Of Sully ? Of Sully's boldness ? What was its con- 
sequence ? Of Henry's frolic with his children ? Of his assassination ? 



187 



ir1t,'l*i,..aw't' 1/1,,^ 







Coronation of Mary de Medicis. 



A REGENCY. 189 

Henry's greatest ambition was to render his people happy, and conse- 
quently he was adored by them. He was an enemy to luxury, and fre- 
quently laughed at the nobles in their magnificent dresses, telling them 
that they carried their mills and their woods upon their backs. 

Sully had, by his wise and upright administration, brought France to 
a state of prosperity hitherto unknown. Taxes were diminished, public 
debts paid, and yet the treasury contained sufficient money to answer 
any exigency. The capital was also greatly embellished during the 
reign of Henry IV. The Pont-Neuf was constructed; the gallery of 
the Louvre was built, and the canal de Briare was commenced for the 
purpose of uniting the Seine and the Loire. 



CHAPTER XL. 
REIGN OF LOUIS XIII. (1610). 



The Dauphin, eldest son of Henry IV., was but eight years and a half 
old when he succeeded his father on the throne of France, under the 
title of Louis XIII. Being too young to govern, the queen dowager, 
Marie de Medicis, was named regent 

She had brought with her from Italy, when she came to marry Henry, 
a lady named Leonore Galigai, who soon after was married to an Italian 
courtier called Concini : they were both very ambitious and intriguing, 
and soon acquired great influence over the regent. Concini, though no 
warrior, was, to the astonishment of the nation, elevated to the dignity 
of marshal of France, with the title of marechal d'Ancre ; an honour 
which is generally bestowed as a reward of bravery and military glory. 

This elevation rendered the marshal d'Ancre and his lady so haughty 
and repulsive that they were generally disliked. They had however 
gained such an ascendency at court that it was dangerous to offend 
them. 

Sully, whose honesty and frankness rendered him odious at such a 
court, finding he could render no service to the nation, retired and occu- 
pied himself in writing the memoirs and political maxims which have 
been transmitted to us under his name. 

An alliance was formed with Spain by means of a double marriage, 
between Elizabeth, the king's sister, with the son of Philip III., and of 
Louis himself with Ann of Austria. 

This reign, like the preceding one, was troubled by civil wars between 
the Catholics and Protestants ; the treasury was exhausted by the prodi- 
gality and ill-advised measures of the government under the directions 
of the marshal, or rather of the marechale d'Ancre, by whose influence 

What was his character ? What is said of Sully's adminish-ation ? Who suc- 
ceeded Henry IV.? Who was regent? What is said of Galigai and Concini ? Of 
Sully ? What marriages took place ? What is said of this reign ? Of the treasury ? 



190 RICHELIEU. 

the ministry was changed, and the bishop of Lu9on; (Richelieu) was 
named secretary of state. 

The enemies of the marechal d'Ancpe became every day more nume- 
rous and more exasperated, and at length, one of them named Luynes, 
who was a great favourite of the king, opened his eyes to the shame of 
suffering his kingdom to be governed by foreigners, and of submitting 
to the absolute power that the queen dowager exercised over him. 

Louis, roused by these representations, gave orders to the captain of 
his body-guards to arrest the marshal. The order was soon executed, 
and he, showing some signs of resistance, was killed by the guards on 
the bridge leading to the Louvre. 

The raarechale was soon after arrested and tried upon the ridiculous 
accusation of magic and witchcraft. The judge having asked her by 
what charm she had acquired such dominion over the queen-mother, she 
boldly replied, " By the ascendency that a powerful mind always ob- 
tains over a weak one^ She was however condemned, executed, and 
her body burnt. 

The death of the marshal d'Ancre and his lady v;as such a severe 
blow for Marie de Medicis, that she retired from court to the castle of 
Blois, and united with the duke d'Epernon in a civil war against Louis. 
The Protestants availed themselves of these differences, and the king- 
dom was again torn by religious wars, in which the dissenters gained 
such important advantages that Louis was glad to make a peace by con- 
firming the Edict of Nantes, and granting other indulgences. 

Richelieu, bishop of Lu^on, having contrived to arrange matters be- 
tween Marie de Medicis and the king, obtained for himself a cardinal's 
hat, and a place in the privy council, where his influence soon showed 
itself by the disgrace of his adversaries, and he at length became prime 
minister : but he was far from being a Sully. Ambition and intrigue 
seemed to be his ruling passions : jealous of the influence of Marie de 
Medicis over the king, he brought about a quarrel between them, and 
she was obliged to quit the kingdom : he also caused a misunderstanding 
between Louis and his brother (the duke of Orleans), a prince who was 
generally beloved. 

Richelieu was however an able minister, and France is indebted to 
him for many improvements and useful establishments, among which 
the royal academy stands conspicuous. His great ambition and unlimit- 
ed power however caused him numerous enemies, and he was several 
times in danger of being assassinated. The numerous taxes that his 
administration imposed on the nation excited general discontent, and 
almost revolt, on the part of the people ; but Richelieu, either by force 
or intrigue, kept them in submission. 

In the year 1642, a formidable conspiracy almost succeeded in over- 
throwing him. A young man named Cinq-Mars, son of marshal d'Effiat, 
had obtained the place of master of the horse, and by flattery and unre- 
mitting attention to all the wishes and tastes of Louis had become quite 
a favourite with that monarch. Favourites are usually jealous of each 

of Richelieu ? Of marshal d'Ancre's fall ? Of his wife ? Of Marie de Medicia ? 
Of the Protestants? Who was made cardinal ? What was his character? What 
intrigues did he manage? What establishments owe their origin to Richelieu? 



LOUIS XIV. 191 

other. Cinq-Mars resolved to overthrow Richelieu, and for that purpose 
united with a person named de Thou. Fortunately for the minister, 
who perceived his influence diminish as that of his adversary increased, 
he discovered a secret correspondence between Cinq-Mars and the court 
of Spain. 

Richelieu, who was then very ill at Tarascon, immediately communi- 
cated the circumstance to the king: Cinq-Mars and his confidant de 
Thou were arrested, tried, condemned, and decapitated at Lyons. The 
dukes de Bouillon and Orleans were said to be implicated in this affair. 
Richelieu was however approaching- his dissolution, and though ex- 
tremely ill, he determined to show himself at court, and being unable 
to support the jolting of an ordinary carriage, he had a sort of litter, 
made, and was carried in it by men, in this manner, from and to the 
magnificent palace which he had built (the Palais-Royal), but he did not 
long survive his victory over Cinq-Mars and de Thou. The illness with 
which he was afflicted, carried him off" in less than a year after the exe- 
cution of his adversaries. Previous to his death he made a present of 
his elegant palace to the king. There is to be seen among the pictures 
at the Palais-Royal, one where the cardinal is represented presenting 
the deed of gift to the monarch. 

Whatever bad qualities Richelieu might have possessed, he has ren- 
dered great service to France by the encouragement he gave to literary 
and scientific men. We owe to him, as we have already said, the in- 
stitution of the Academy; the construction of the Luxemburg, the Sor- 
bonne and the hospital of Val-de-Grace, also took place in this reign. 

Louis XIII. expired the year following (1643). His mother Marie 
de Medicis died a short time before him, in a miserable exile at Co- 
logne. 

The government fell to Ann of Austria, widow of the late king, and 
the crown to her son, who was not then five years old. 



CHAPTER XLL 

EXTRAORDINARY LONG REIGN OF LOUIS XIV., CALLED LOUIS 
THE GREAT (1643). 

When Louis XIV. ascended the throne of France, the situation of 
Europe was such as to menace the French with a turbulent reign. 

The late king had named, in his will, a council of regency, placing 
the queen, his widow, at the head of it. She felt this as a sort of hu- 
miliation, and determined to be sole and absolute regent. She applied 
to parliament, the king's will was declared null ; she obtained all the 

Who opposed him ? What was the result? Give an account of Richelieu's last 
days. What services did he render to France ? When did Louis XIII. die 1 Who 
succeeded him ? What was the slate of France ? Who was regent ? 



192 MAZAEIN THE FRONDE. 

power, and named for her first minister the cardinal Mazarin; an Italian 
by birth, possessing- good abilities, great firmness, and much ambition. 

Whatever be a minister's qualities, he is sure to have enemies, be- 
cause it is impossible to satisfy every body, and Mazarin being a foreigner 
was an additional cause of jealousy. The Spaniards thought that the 
minority of the king, and the dissensions of parties in France offered a 
fair opportunity for invading that country. They did so, and laid siege 
to Rocroy ; but a young hero, the duke d'Enghien (afterwards the great 
Conde), only twenty-two years of age, led the French troops against the 
invaders, and gamed the celebrated battle of Rocroy. Soon after this 
he gained several other important victories, and among them that of 
Dunkirk, which he took from the Spaniards. Philip IV. of Spain find- 
ing he could not govern the united provinces of the Netherlands, and 
his resources being exhausted, he made a treaty acknowledging their 
independence. As war had long been devastating Spain, Germany, 
France, and other European powers, they were all desirous of a peace, 
which, after much negotiation, was concluded and signed at Munster on 
the 24th of October 1648. 

Almost at the same time a civil war broke out at Paris. Some acts 
of the minister Mazarin were considered oppressive, and the people, 
supported by the parliament, refused to submit. Several arrestations 
took place, which irritated the Parisians so much that they rose in all 
parts of the town, barricaded the streets, killed some soldiers, and insist- 
ed on the liberation of the prisoners, which at last was granted. 

This however did not terminate the dissensions ; on the contrary each 
party became more exasperated, and open rebellion was the conse- 
quence. The rebels were called Frondeurs because they are said to 
have throvra stones at their adversaries by means of slings, which in 
French are called frondes. The other party was called Mazarins from 
the name of the minister. 

This civil war became so violent as to oblige the regent to quit Paris 
with the young king. She went to St. Germain, accompanied by the 
prince de Conti, the dukes of Longueville, Beaufort, Vendome, Bouillon, 
and others of their party. — Conde, though dissatisfied with the govern- 
ment, joined the court party and blockaded the capital, where the par- 
liament had raised an army. Several combats took place without any 
signal advantage to either side. At length a compromise was made, and 
the court returned to Paris ; but the following year Mazarin, to whom 
Conde, the prince de Conti and the duke of Longueville had become 
formidable, had them arrested. He was however soon after obliged to 
liberate them, and, not thinking himself safe in France, he retired for 
some time to Cologne ; still however directing the government. He 
returned to France with a small army and joined the regent and the 
king-, who were wandering about in the provinces. They march upon 
Paris, and a battle ensues in the faubourg St. Antoine : Turenne com- 
manded the royalists or Mazarins ; but the cannon of the Bastile soon 
forced them to retreat. 

Who prime minister? What is said of d'Enghien? Of Philip IV.? Of the 
treaty? Of the civil war? The Frondeurs and Mazarins? Who quitted Paris? 
What is said of Conde? OfMazarhi? Ills retirement ? His return ? Tlie battle? 



WAR WITH SPAIN. 193 

At length the king, finding the nation so exasperated against the 
minister, dismissed him ; the Parisians then opened their gates, and the 
capital became once more tranquil. 

The Spaniards had profited by the internal dissensions of the French, 
and had retaken Barcelona, Gravelines and Dunkirk. 

A treaty of alliance was, about this time, concluded between France 
and England, which latter country was then governed by Cromwell. 
An English fleet was sent against Dunkirk, while an army, composed 
of French and English troops, attacked it on the land side ; it was soon 
conquered and taken possession of by the latter. A peace was soon 
after concluded between the French and Spaniards, and to render it 
more durable, Philip IV. gave his daughter in marriage to Louis XIV. 

The long celebrated Mazarin died in 1661, leaving to his heirs an 
immense fortune. Louis, who had long been only a puppet in the hands 
of that minister, was glad to be delivered from the yoke, and determined 
to take the reins of government in his own hands. Colbert Vi^as placed 
at the head of the finances, and rendered them more flourishing than 
they had been for many years; commerce augmented, Dunkirk and 
Marseilles were declared free ports, and soon filled with ships of all 
nations. Paris was much embellished at this time, the streets were 
paved and lighted, and the canal of Languedoc was begun for uniting 
the Ocean with the Mediterranean sea. Literature was embellished by 
the names of Moliere, Racine and Boileau. This reign is, however, 
too long to be comprised in one chapter ; we will therefore continue the 
narrative in a new one. . \ 



CHAPTER XLIL 
CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV. 

Philip IV. of Spain dying in 1665 was succeeded by Charless II., 
then only four years old : some claims were made by France in behalf 
of the queen, wife of Louis XFV. and daughter of Philip. The Spanish 
government resisted, and the marquis of Louvois, the French minister 
of war, began to make preparations for attacking Spanish Flanders. 
Louis led on his troops, and with Turenne for general, his arms were 
invincible. He soon took Charleroi, Ath, Tournai, Furnes, Courtrai, 
Douai, and Lille, garrisoned them with French troops, and employed the 
celebrated Vauban to construct new fortifications. 

Immediately after this campaign Louis marched into Franche-Comte, 
which was then under the dominion of Spain ; and though it was the 
middle of winter, the whole province was conquered in less than a 
month. 

Mazarin's dismissal ? The Spaniards ? Who took Dunkirk ? Whom did Louis 
XIV. marry ? When did Mazarin die ? What is said of Colbert ? Of commerce ? 
Of Paris ? Of literature ? What caused a war with Spain? Who commanded the 
army ? What followed ? What was done in the winter ? 

17 



194 WAR WITH THE DUTCH. 

The success of the French arms alarmed the neighbouring nations, 
England particularly, and Holland, who trembled for her frontiers. 
These powers, united with Sweden, made such strong representations 
to Louis that he stopped his march, and a peace was concluded at Aix- 
la-Chapelle. Louis restored Franche-Comte, but kept Flanders. During 
the negotiations the Dutch plenipotentiary was told to beware of Louis, 
for that he would deceive him ; he replied, " I don't consider what he 
would do, but what he can." 

This treaty having been forced from Louis, he resolved to break it on 
the first favourable opportunity ; and for that purpose endeavoured to 
gain over one of the parties which formed the triple alliance against 
him. England was the most important, and he succeeded in gaining 
her by means of the duchess of Orleans, who was sister to Charles IL 
then reigning. A pretence was easily found to complain of Holland, 
and Louis marched against it in 1672 with all his forces. The Dutch 
were not prepared to resist such an overwhehning army, and the French 
took from them several important places. Fearing greater disasters, the 
States general determined to solicit a peace, though the prince of Orange 
strongly opposed that measure. 

Peace was offered them, but upon such humiliating conditions that it 
excited general indignation, and drove them to desperation ; they cut 
the dams and inundated several places to prevent the approach of the 
enemy, who was thus not only prevented from advancing, but also com- 
pelled to retreat. The powers in the north of Europe, seeing the am- 
bition of Louis, came to the assistance of Holland, and Spain soon fol- 
lowed their example. 

With so many enemies, it was impossible to keep the three provinces 
of Utrecht, Over-Ysel, and Gueldres, which had been taken : they were 
therefore ransomed and evacuated. The Dutch fleet had also become 
very formidable, and had successfully resisted three attacks of the 
united fleets of England and France. Charles IL finding that he was 
only advancing the ambitious views of Louis XIV., and the English 
loudly declaiming against the war, made peace with Holland, on condi- 
tion of receiving 300,000 pounds, about seven million and a half of 
francs. 

Louis, however, having yet powerful resources, and such generals as 
Turenne and the great Conde, continued the war. The latter general 
attacked the prince of Orange near Mens; a desperate battle ensued, 
but neither party could claim a victory. Conde had three horses killed 
under him, and it is said that twenty-five thousand men perished on the 
field. Turenne, who commanded on the Rhine, performed prodigies, 
but was at length killed by a cannon-ball at Salzbach, and the French 
were obliged to retreat, Louis himself commanded in the Netherlands; 
he took Conde, Bouchain, Valenciennes, Cam.brai, Gand {Ghent) and 
Ypres. 

The Dutch, having obtained some advantages, made a favourable 

Why was peace made, and where? Who entered into alliance with Louis? 
What followed ? Who begged peace ? Why was it not made ? Who aided Hol- 
land ? What was the consequence? Who wafs bribed to make peace ? Who con- 
tinued the war ? What is said of the battle of Mons ? Of the death of Tuienne ? 



EDICT OF NANTES REVOKED. 195 

peace with the French, without consulting the other powers, and Spain, 
thus losing a powerful ally, made also a treaty, by which France kept 
Franche-Comte and the principal towns that she had taken in Flanders. 
This led to a general peace ; but Louis was so intoxicated by the glory 
he had acquired, that he could not long remain inactive. 

A fresh war broke out upon the Rhine : Strasbourg and Luxemburg 
were taken; and a truce for twenty years followed, by which Spain 
gave up the latter, and the emperor of Germany yielded the former to 
the French. 

Louis now turned his mind to the naval force of his kingdom, aug- 
mented his fleet and fortified the maritime towns of Dunkirk, Toulon, 
Brest and Rochefort. He attacked Algiers, Tunis, and other piratical 
towns on the coast of Africa, obliged them to solicit quarter and to 
promise respect to the French flag. He then inflicted a terrible pun- 
ishment on Genoa {Genes) for having furnished ammunition to the 
African corsairs. The town, was bombarded and almost reduced to a 
heap of ruins. 

Not long after this, Louis had the misfortune. to lose his able minister 
Colbert. The Protestants had soon reason to lament his death ; he had 
always protected them as good and loyal subjects while their only crime 
was worshipping the same God in a different manner from the Catho- 
lics. By the death of Colbert they were exposed to the persecutions 
of the chancellor Le Tellier and his son the marquis de Louvoi's. They 
were ordered to adopt the national religion, and those who did not were 
treated in the most cruel manner by dragoons who were sent to enforce 
the orders of government. 

These measures not producing the desired effect, a still more violent 
one was employed. The famous Edict of Nantes, given by Henry IV., 
by which the liberty of conscience and of public worship was acknow- 
ledged, was revoked ; the churches were destroyed; the Protestant 
ministers banished ; orders were given to take the children of the Cal- 
vinists away from their parents, and to confide them to Catholics. Emi- 
gration was forbidden upon pain of severe punishment; but in spite of 
menaces and precautions, thousands of industrious families found means 
of quitting the kingdom. The greatest part of them took refuge in 
England ; among them were great numbers of silk-weavers, and from 
that time the silk manufacture has increased so much in that country 
that it now rivals, and in some branches surpasses, that of France. 

The celebrated Christine, queen of Sweden, said in some of her 
writings at that time, ^^ France is at this moment like a sick person in 
the hands of unskilful doctors, who amputate her limbs to cure her of a 
malady which time, patience, and mild treatment, would effectually 
overcome.'''' 

An important event happened soon after this, in England. James IL, 
who was then king, had favoured the Catholics so much, and endea- 
voured so continually to re-establish the dominion of the Romish 

Of the treaty ? Of the renewal of war ? Of the navy ? What towns did Louis 
take ? How did he treat the Genoese ? What is said of Colbert ? Of Le Tellier ? 
Of the Edict of Nantes? What was the consequence of its revocation? What 
was said by Christine of Sweden? 



196 WAR IN FLANDERS. 

church, that the English revolted, dethroned him, and gave the crown 
to William III. prince of Orange, his son-in-law. 

James took refuge in France, where Louis received him magnifi- 
cently, raised an army and equipped a fleet, and endeavoured, but in 
vain, to re-establish him. Several battles were fought, in which the 
French showed great courage ; particularly at that of the Boyne, in 
Ireland, where marshal Schomberg, who commanded them, was killed. 
James did not take an active part in endeavouring to recover his king- 
dom : he let others fight for him, while he amused himself; by which 
means he became despised, and lost all hope of being reinstated. 

The sparks of war flew in all directions, and soon kindled violent 
flames against Louis. He had for enemies England, Holland, Spain, 
Savoy, nearly all Italy, and the greatest part of the German empire. 
Louis however maintained this unequal contest for sometime: many 
bloody battles were the consequences, both in Europe and in the colo- 
nies, and at last a great fleet was assembled at La Hogue for the pur- 
pose of invading England. 

This fleet was attacked and almost destroyed by the English, who, 
immediately after the victory, bombarded Dieppe, Havre, St. Malo, 
Calais and Dunkirk. This war became at length so ruinous to France 
that Louis found it necessary to bring about a peace. His first mea- 
sure was to detach one of the allied powers from the confederation, and 
he succeeded with Victor Amedeus, duke of Savoy, by restoring his 
dominions, and by marrying the duke of Burgundy, son of the Dauphin, 
with Amedeus's daughter, giving her a dowry of four millions of francs. 

Louis then made a peace with the other powers, by restoring all his 
conquests, and acknowledging William III. as king of England. This 
was called the peace of Ryswick. 

Charles 11. of Spain finding himself at the point of death, and having 
no children, bequeathed the crown of that country to the duke of Anjou, 
second son of the Dauphin of France. Charles dying soon after, the 
duke succeeded under the name of Philip V. This aggrandizement of 
the Bourbons excited the jealousy of Leopold, emperor of Germany, 
who sent an army of 30,000 men, under the command of prince Eugene, 
into Italy. James IL, ex-king of England, died about this time at St. 
Germain; and Louis, though he had acknowledged William III., gave 
the title of king of England to James's son. The English immediately 
took arms, and William, though very infirm, prepared to take the field 
at their head ; but a fall from his horse caused his death, at the age of 
52. Ann Stuart succeeded him, and declared war against France. An 
army under the celebrated duke of Marlborough was sent to Flanders, 
where many battles were fought, particularly those of Hochstet and 
Spires, where the French acquired much glory under Villars and Tal- 
lard. But their laurels were soon after snatched from them at Blen- 

Who was made lung of England ? Where did James II. take refuge? How 
was he aided ? How did he conduct himself? Where was a fleet assembled for 
the invasion of England ? Wliat was done by the English ? By Louis ? What 
were the terms of die peace of Ryswick ? What is said of Charles II. of Spain ? 
Of the emperor ? Of Eugene ? Of James II ? Of Louis ? Of Ann Stuart ? Of 
Warlboruu'fh ? 



DEATH OF LOUIS XIV. 197 

heim by Marlborough and Eugene. Tlie allies then began to think of 
dethroning Philip V. of Spain: the English in 1704 attacked and took 
Gibraltar, which they have ever since kept. A formidable fleet of 
French and Spanish vessels sent against it was entirely destroyed. 

In 1706, marshal Villeroi, who commanded the French army in 
Flanders, consisting of 80,000 men, resolved to attack Marlborough at 
Ramillies ; he did so and in half an hour was totally defeated, losing 
twenty thousand men and nearly all Spanish Flanders. The allied 
French and Spanish armies were equally unfortunate in Spain and 
Italy. These disasters were the more fatal as they were followed by a 
dreadful famine, which at once exhausted the resources of France, and 
the patience of the French. 

Louis saw the absolute necessity of terminating the war, and sent 
the marquis de Torci to the Hague to negotiate ; but the demands of 
Marlborough, and of the prince Eugene were so humiliating that Louis 
could not accede to them. One condition being the dethronement of 
Philip v., Louis replied, " Since I must fight, I would rather fight 
agaiiist my enemies than against my son.'''' 

The French determined to make another effort to sustain the national 
honour. Villars, with about 60,000 men, was joined by marshal Boufllers, 
and they opposed the English, who had taken Tournai and were march- 
ing to besiege Mons. A sanguinary battle took place at Malplaquet, 
where fortune again favoured the allies. Marlborough gained the vic- 
tory, though it cost him 20,000 men. 

Mons was taken, and those repeated defeats so destroyed the con- 
fidence of the French, that Louis found himself under the necessity of 
making another demand for peace. The most humiliating conditions 
were proposed by the allies ; but in the interval marshal Villars gained 
an important victory over the English on the plains of Denain, which a 
little changed the tone of each party, and a peace was at length con- 
cluded. England kept Gibraltar and other places ; the emperor obtain- 
ed Spanish Flanders ; the French also agreed to destroy and fill up the 
port of Dunkirk, which had cost them immense sums of money. 

Louis, now in his 78th year, felt his end approaching ; he regretted 
his passion for war, which, though it had acquired him great fame, had 
caused much misery to his people. When on his death-bed, seeing his 
attendants weeping, he said, " Why do you weep ? did you think me 
immortal f 

He died on the 1st of September, 1715, leaving the crown to his 
great-grand-son the duke of Bourbon, only five years old. 

An anecdote is related of Louis which evinces at once his despotic 
principles of government and his impetuous temper. The parliament 
of Paris, after enjoying in previous reigns no inconsiderable share in the 
government of the country, had been restrained and reduced to insigni- 
ficance by the decisive measures of Louis and his ministers. In 1655, 
the parliament, after registering certain fiscal edicts, thought proper to 

Of his battles ? Of Gibraltar ? Of the battle . of Ramillies ? What prevented 
a peace ? Give an account of the battle of Malplaquet. What ensued ? What 
■m said of Dunkirk ? When did Louis die ? 

17* 



198 THE IRON MASK. 

re-examine them, to complain, and show symptoms of their ancient 
independence. Louis was at Vincennes, engaged in the chase, when 
he heard of their conduct. Instantly, without consulting the cardinal, 
or even tarrying to change his dress, the young monarch galloped to 
Paris, entered the Palace of Justice and the Hall of the Parliament in 
his hunting habit, booted, and with whip in hand. " Gentlemen," said 
Louis to the astonished legists, " every one is acquainted with the ill 
consequences of your former assemblies. Their recurrence must be 
prevented. I command you instantly to cease busying yourselves with 
my edicts. And you, Mr. President, I forbid either to call or suffer such 
assemblies." This bold assertion of the royal will fi'om the mouth of a 
stripling proved sufficient to crush the reviving spirit of the magistracy. 
It was silent, and obeyed. 

The reign of Louis XIV, was remarkable on many accounts, arid one 
circumstance excited great astonishment. A person who, by the great 
attention that was paid to him, appeared to be of high rank, was sent 
to prison, rigorously guarded, and his face concealed by an iron mask 
which he could not take off. He was confined many years in an island 
on the coast of Provence. It is said that he once eadeavoured to make 
known the secret of his imprisonment, in the following manner. — He 
scratched upon a silver dish his name and situation, and profiting by a 
moment when he was alone, he threw the dish through the bars of his 
window towards the sea : it was soon after picked up by a fisherman, 
who not knowing how to read, carried the dish to the governor, hoping 
to be rewarded. Struck with astonishment, he asked the fisherman if 
he knew what was marked on the dish ; the poor fellow replied that he 
could not read. " It is very fortunate for you," replied the governor ; 
and giving him some money, sent him away. 

Some time after this the prisoner was transferred to the Bastile at 
Paris, where he died after many years of solitary confinement. The 
secret of his identity v;as so well kept that it is, even now, doubtful 
whether any one has discovered it. 

Paris and its environs were considerably beautified during the long 
reign of Louis XIV. The hospital of Invalids was founded. The beau- 
tiful palace of Versailles was built ; and the northern pavilion added to 
the Tuileries. The school of St. Cyr, for the education of girls, was 
founded in this reign under the protection of Madame de Maintenon, 
whom Louis had privately married. 

What anecdote is told of Louis and the parliament? Give an account of the 
man in the Iron Mask. What improvements were made in and about Paris in his 
reign ? 



199 




Louis XIV. 



MARIA THERESA. 

CHAPTER XLIII. 
REIGN OF LOUIS XV. (1715). 

This prince was only five years old at the death of Louis XIV., who, 
by his will, had named a council of reg-ency, of which the duke of 
Orleans was to be president : but not satisfied with such restrictions, he 
demanded, and obtained, an absolute and sole regency, vested in himself. 

The finances were at this time in such an exhausted state, that the 
government was greatly embarrassed. Spain made some hostile move- 
ments in alliance with Charles XII. of Sweden, against France and 
England ; but Charles being killed in Norway and the Spanish fleet 
destroyed by the English, Philip was glad to ask a peace. Louis being 
now of age, the regency ceased, and the duke of Orleans became first 
minister. 

Soon afler this, another, and very unexpected war, broke out among 
the European powers concerning the crown of Poland, which was elec- 
tive. One Stanislaus Leczinski was elected; but the emperor Charles 
VI. was dissatisfied, and insisted on a fresh election in favour of the 
elector of Saxony. Stanislaus, being related to Louis, naturally expected 
support from France ; he was however so severely attacked by the Rus- 
sians that he was obliged to fly in disguise. The war continued between 
the emperor and Louis, who had for allies the duke of Savoy, the king 
of Sardinia and the king of Spain. England and Holland remained 
neuter. 

Being pressed on all sides, and having lost many places, the emperor 
made a peace advantageous to the allies ; but Stanislaus was not rein- 
stated. This was called the treaty of Vienna. 

About two years after this, the emperor Charles VI. died ; he was the 
last of the house of Austria which had occupied the imperial throne 
more than 300 years. 

By virtue of the Pragmatic Sanction the empire descended to Marie 
Therese, eldest daughter of Charles ; she accordingly ascended the 
throne, observing that almost all the powers had guarantied the Prag- 
matic Sanction ; but prince Eugene, who saw their jealousy- and envy, 
said that a hundred thousand men was better than a hundred thousand 
treaties. 

At length the war was commenced by Frederick 11. of Prussia, and 
France was soon drawn into it, contrary to the wish of cardmal Fleury 
the minister. The war became bloody, obstinate and general, and the 
queen Marie Therese was reduced to a deplorable state ; her perils 
however served to increase her energy, and inspire her fi-iends with 



Who succeeded Louis XIV. ? Who was regent? Who united against France ? 
Who asked a peace ? Who became first minister when Louis XV. w^as of a^e ? 
What occasioned a new war ? V/hat were the terms of the treaty of Vienna ? 
What is said of Charles VI. ? Of Maria Theresa ? Of Eugene ? Of Frederick IL ? 
Of the Queen ? 



202 BATTLE OF FONTENOY. 

ardour. She received pecuniary assistance from England and Holland, 
though they had not declared in her favour. In 1743 cardinal Fleury 
died, and Louis was obliged to take a more active part in the govern^ 
ment than he had hitherto done. He admitted the marshal de Noailles 
to the council, and soon gave him command of an army to stop the pro- 
gress of the English, who now showed themselves, and were marching 
towards Germany to assist the queen. 

He met them near Dettingen on the Maine ; a terrible battle ensued, 
but some false manoeuvres deprived the marshal of the victory he had 
anticipated. 

The cause of Marie Therese now began to thrive ; the king of Prus- 
sia made peace with her, and being freed from so formidable an enemy, 
her troops menaced the French frDutier, passed the Rhine and pene- 
trated as far as Lorraine. Louis XV. marched against them ; but Fre- 
derick, having once more declared war against her, prince Charles, who 
commanded the imperialists, was obliged to repass the Rhine in haste, 
to drive the Prussians from Bohemia. 

About this time Louis was attacked by a dreadful illness which con- 
fined him some time at Metz ; but as soon as he recovered he took the 
field, and fought the memorable battle of Fontenoy, against the English 
commanded by the duke of Cumberland. The British advanced with 
such intrepidity that nothing could resist them; the French were re- 
pulsed at all points, and the battle nearly lost, when a sudden and 
simultaneous attack of artillery, and a charge of the king's household 
troops, changed the fate of the day : the English retired in good order, 
having lost 9000 men. 

Louis would then have made a peace, but neither Austria nor Eng- 
land were pacifically disposed. The war then extended itself into 
Italy, wTiere the French army experienced many disasters. Francois 
de Lorraine, the husband of Marie Therese, was elected emperor about 
1745 ; and the king of Prussia made a peace with her, and being re- 
leased from so formidable a foe, she reinforced her army in Italy and 
drove the French out of that country. 

To counterbalance this, they gained several important victories 
in Flanders.' Brussels was taken by marshal Saxe; Antwerp by 
Louis himself; Mons by the prince de Conti; and Namur by the count 
de Clermont. The almost impregnable fort of Bergen-op-Zoom. was 
also taken, after a siege of three weeks. Maestricht soon after fell, 
and the allies, becoming alarmed, demanded and obtained a peace, 
which was signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, all parties restoring, with very 
few exceptions, the conquests they had made. 

The French navy had been so much neglected during this war that 
it was at one time reduced to a single ship of the line; the conse- 
quence was that the English, whose vessels covered the seas, almost 
ruined the commerce of France. 

Some disputes arose soon after between France and England, con- 

Of Louis ? Of the battle of Dettingen? Of the king of Prussia ? Of the sub- 
sequent operations? Of the battle of Fontenoy ? Of the war in Italy ? Who was 
made emperor? What places were taken by the P>ench in Flandera ? Where 
was peace concluded ? What is said of the navy, and of commerce ? 



DEATH OF LOUIS XV. 203 

cerning the frontiers of Canada, and in 1755 a war was commenced by 
the English attacking the French merchant-ships, of which they soon 
took more than three hundred. The war spread rapidly; each party 
obtained allies. Prussia attached herself to England ; but Austria 
joined France. 

Great exertions were now made by the French to re-establish their 
navy, and some advantages were obtained at sea ; Hanover was taken, 
and the king of Prussia was defeated at Prague by the Austrians ; but 
he soon recovered himself by an important victory at Rosbach. During 
this time, the English took from France nearly all her American colo- 
nies. England was at that time governed by the able and persevering 
William Pitt, earl of Chatham, a constant enemy to the French. 

Charles III. of fcjpain having joined France, the English attacked 
and took the richest of the Spanish colonies. Cuba, the 'Philippine 
Islands, Manilla, and the Havannah, with an immense booty, fell into 
their hands 

This disastrous war was terminated by the treaty of Paris in 1663 ; 
by which England retained Canada and other considerable places in 
America. 

A peace was also concluded between the northern powers, each aban- 
doning the conquests made. 

During the war, in the year 1757, an attempt was made to assas- 
sinate Louis, by a fanatic named Damiens, who was executed with all 
the severities imposed by the law against regicides. 

Soon after this, an act of parliament was passed for expelling the 
Jesuits from France, as they had already been from Portugal, Spain, 
and a part of Italy. Louis, now at the age of sixty-four, was attacked 
by the small-pox, and shortly carried off, after a reign of sixty years. 

Among the useful establishments of this reign, the Military School 
stands very conspicuous. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 
EVENTFUL REIGN OF LOUIS XVI. (1774). 

This unfortunate monarch ascended the throne on the death of his 
grand-father, May 10, 1774. He was then nearly twenty years of age, 
and the beginning of his reign appeared propitious. The pain of death, 
for desertion, was abolished, and a great number of public works com- 
menced. The finances were, however, in such an exhausted state that 
even the most rigorous economy in the administration was not sufficient 

Of Canada? Of the French successes? Of England ? What did the English 
take from the Spanish ? When and where was peace concluded ? What is said 
of Damiens ? Of the Jesuits ? When did Louis XV. die ? Who succeeded Louis 
XV. ? What was done at the beginning of his reign ? 



204 ' THE AMERICAN WAR. 

to restore them. M. Necker, a very able financier and banker, was ap- 
pointed minister of that department; but notwithstanding his ability 
and his efforts, he failed to re-establish the treasury. 

In 1778, a war broke out between England and her American colo- 
nies. The English, suspecting that the French gave assistance to their 
enemies, attacked a French vessel ; she showed herself, however, a 
match for her adversary : this at once decided France to declare war 
against England and to form an alliance with the Americans. The 
war was sanguinary on all sides : many naval combats took place be- 
tween the French and English fleets, two of which deserve particular 
notice. The first was off Ushant, between a French squadron com- 
manded by M. D'Orvilliers, and an English one under admiral Keppel. 
After a severe fight, the English profited by the night, to escape ; Kep- 
pel was brought to a court martial and disgraced for having retreated. 

The next maritime affair was a terrible one : the united French and 
Spanish fleets, assisted by some immense floating batteries, attacked 
Gibraltar, for the purpose of shutting the English from the Mediter- 
ranean sea. The governor, general Elliot, however peppered them so 
severely with red-hot balls, that the batteries and several of the ships 
were destroyed, and the rest obliged to retreat. The English obtained 
also an important naval victory in an engagement between count de 
Grasse and admiral Rodney. But the defeats of their land forces, by 
the allied French and American troops, more than counterbalanced those 
advantages, and a peace was made by which the Americans obtained 
their independence and took the title of the United States. 

During this war the state of the finances became more embarrassed. 
Necker had been obliged to have recourse to loans, thus creating a 
national debt ; to pay the interest of which it was necessary to increase 
the taxes. This caused great discontent, and he was superseded in his 
office by a M. de Calonne. This minister declared that, without some 
greater powers than the minister then possessed, it would be impossible 
to remedy the evil. 

A land-tax was then proposed on the estates of the nobility and 
clergy ; but the Parliament having rejected it, the king held a convoca- 
tion of ministers and members of Parliament at which he presided on 
his throne, and ordered the act to be inscribed. These assemblies were 
called lits de justice."^ 

The Parliament of Paris signed a protest against the measure, and 
soon after nearly all its members were exiled. This caused such 
general indignation that the whole country demanded a convocation of 
the states-general. The minister Necker was recalled, and the states 
assembled at Versailles on the 5th of May, 1789. The debates were 
long, violent and indecisive ; the nation became impatient, and Louis 
ordered the members to separate, and discuss in different chambers. 

* Une femme ayant demande a Fonteiielle qu'est-ce que c'etait qu'un lit de justice: 
" Madame," repoudit-il, " c'est un lit oii la justice dort." 

Who was made minister of finance ? What brought on a war with England ? 
What is said of the war ? Of the sea-fight ? Of Gibraltar ? Of Rodney ? Of the 
TTnited States? What caused JNecker's retirement ? What tax was laid ? What 
caused Nccker's recal ? What was then done ? 




War occasioned by the English attacking a French vessel, in 1778. 

18 ' 



THE FEENCH REVOLUTION BEGINS. 207 

The deputies of the Tiers-Etat (representatives of the people) assem- 
bled in the hall of the fives-court (Jeu de paume), and being joined by- 
some members of the two other states (the nobility and clergy), they 
swore never to separate till they had given a constitution to France. 
The court was forced to accede ; the three states reunited, and took the 
name of National Assembly. 

Several unfavourable rumours v^^^ere then spread. One that the king 
was about to quit France ; another that he was surrounding Paris with 
troops. The people, thus excited, rose on the 14th of July against the 
government, attacked and took the Bastile (a state prison), formed a 
national guard, and adopted the tri-coloured flag. 

. At the news of this insurrection, many of the nobility and clergy 
took flight. The king went to the H6tel-de-Ville, and endeavoured to 
calm the people by putting the national cockade in his hat. This had 
some effect ; but the people learning that on the 1st of October, at a 
banquet given by the body-guards at Versailles, the cockade had been 
trampled under foot, and invectives pronounced against the National 
Assembly, they immediately formed themselves in armed battalions, 
proceeded to Versailles, forced the palace, killed several of the body- 
guards, and menaced the royal family with death, if they did not im- 
mediately return to Paris. 

Louis then presented himself with his family in the balcony, pro- 
mised to accompany them to the capital, and the procession set forward 
soon after, followed by the members of the National Assembly. These 
events destroyed the public credit and confidence so much, that ready 
money became excessively scarce. To remedy, in some measure, this 
misfortune, the estates of the clergy were appropriated to the nation ; 
and a paper money called assignats was established. 

In 1790 took place the Federation or assembly of all the troops in 
the Champ de Mars for the purpose of taking the civil oath to maintain 
the rights of man, and of citizens. The National Assembly made 
great alterations in the ecclesiastical laws, which caused much discon- 
tent among the clerg)?", and excited considerable fears for the religion. 
New societies were daily forming at Paris, loudly proclaiming their 
detestation for monarchy, and their intentions of overturning it. Count 
Mirabeau, and even the duke of Orleans, had given their countenance 
to these meetings, perhaps hoping to have sufficient influence to pre- 
vent their fury from going too far : but the people, like a horse that 
once takes fright and feels his power, scorn the hand that would stop, 
or even guide them. The popular opinions, excited by the press, mani- 
fested them.selves with so much violence that the king, convinced he 
was no longer safe in France, resolved to retire secretly into Germany; 
but the flight was conducted with so little prudence, that he was arrest- 
ed at Varennes, brought back to Paris and deprived of his royal func- 
tions. Thousands of French of all classes, but particularly the nobles 

What was done by the Tiers Etat ? What was done by the court ? What was 
the assembly called ? What was done by the people ? What followed ? What 
was done on the 1st of October? What was done by Louis ? What kind of money 
was made ? What was done in 1790? What is said of the National Assembly ? 
Of Mirabeau and Orleans ? Of the king ? 



208 THE KING AND QUEEN BEHEADED. 

and clergy, quitted France in terror ; and the foreign powers prepared 
to invade the country. 

Louis having refused his sanction to some acts of the Legislative 
Body, and being accused of inviting a foreign invasion, was attacked in 
the Tuileries on the 10th of August by the Marseillais, and a great 
number of the inhabitants of the faubourg St. Antoine, armed with can- 
non, muskets, etc. The Swiss-guards defended the palace with great 
courage, and the king sought a refuge in the body of the National 
Assembly. Three days after, the royal family were sent prisoners to 
the Temple. 

The foreign armies were already in France and advancing fast upon 
the capital. An army, hastily assembled, marched against the Prussians 
and compelled them to recross the Rhine. The Austrians, who were 
advancing from Belgium, were defeated at Jeramapes in 1792, and 
obliged also to retire. Soon after this an assembly called the National 
Convention decreed that monarchy should be abolished; and declared 
that France was a republic. On the 3d of December it was also decreed, 
that Louis should be arraigned at the bar of the assembly, to be tried 
upon several accusations prepared against him. On the 11th the trial 
began. Louis pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and asked for coun- 
sellors to defend him, IMessieurs Target and Tronchet. 

The former declined the responsibility ; but M. Lamoignon de Male- 
sherbes offered his services, and they were accepted. The trial finished 
on the 17th of January 1793, on which day Louis XVI. was condemned 
to death, by a majority of five votes. 

On the 20th, Santerre, accompanied by the minister of justice, went 
to the Temple and read the sentence to Louis, and told him to prepare 
for execution on the next day. Accordingly, on the 21st, he was con- 
ducted to the guillotine in the place Louis XV., where the Egyptian 
monument now stands : he began to address the multitude, but the beat- 
ing of drums prevented his words being heard, except those, " French' 
men^ I die innocent, and I hope that 7ny death.. .^—He was then placed 
on the block, the axe fell, and the unfortunate Louis XVI., at the age of 
38, afler a reign of 18 years, ceased to exist. He was the 32d king of 
the third race. 

On the 16th of October, the same year, Marie Antoinette, the widow 
of Louis XVI., was also beheaded. At this epoch, the da.uphin, who is 
now spoken of as Louis XVII., was only nine years old. He was con- 
fined in prison, and, it is said, treated with the greatest cruelty, and 
soon died of grief and ill treatment. Since that time several impostors 
have endeavoured to impose themselves on the nation as the real 
Louis XVII. 

Of the nobles and clergy? What was done on the 10th of August? Three 
days afterwards ? What is said of the foreign armies ? Of the Austrians ? Of the 
National Assembly? What was done December 3d? December 11th? On the 
17th of January ? On the 20th ? On the 21st ? On the IGth of October ? What is 
said of Louis XVII. ? 



ATROCITIES OF THE REVOLUTION. 209 

CHAPTER XLV. 
THE REPUBLIC. 

The monarchy being destroyed, France was declared a republic. 
Ambitious men, of all classes and of all parties, sought to govern, and 
most of them became successively tyrants a.nd victims. 

Thousands v^^ere slaughtered on the scaffold, and by the populace; for 
in those days of anarchy, to be suspected inimical to the despot of the 
moment, was a death warrant. Houses were pillaged under different 
pretexts, and there was no longer any safety, either of person or of pro- 
perty ; consequently thousands of families quitted the country, carrying 
with them all the property they could ; others concealed their money ; 
all confidence was destroyed, and though emigration was forbidden on 
pain of death, many continued to emigrate. 

Those of the emigrants who possessed talents found on these occa- 
sions the great superiority of learning over riches ; they were enabled 
to gain an independent livelihood by teaching what they knew ; and 
among many examples of the kind, we have the illustrious one of the 
then young duke of Orleans, now Louis Philippe I. 

The violent agitation which reigned in France caused much uneasi- 
ness among the neighbouring kingdoms, whose monarchs, fearing the 
contagion of democratic principles, armed against that unhappy country, 
which was at the same time a prey to all the horrors of civil war ; par- 
ticularly in la Vendee, where the royalists had raised a considerable 
army. Violent measures were taken by the opposite party ; a procla- 
mation denounced death against any one who should propose the re- 
establishment of royalty, or the dissolution of the National Convention 
{the then existing government). The foreign povt^ers invaded France, 
but though the French were divided among themselves, the greater part 
of them united against the invaders and repelled them, though not 
without great difficulty and loss ; of which several French towns still 
feel the effects and bear the marks. Valenciennes had been taken by 
siege, and Toulon had been delivered up to the English. About this 
time a remarkable assassination took place at Paris ; it was that of Ma- 
rat, one of the most violent and most sanguinary demagogues of the 
day. He was killed by a beautiful young woman of Caen, who, having 
heard of his atrocities, travelled to the capital for the purpose of ridding- 
the country of such a tyrant. She executed her project, and suffered 
for it on the scaffold. 

We have already said that Toulon was in the hands of the English. 
This is a port so important to France that the greatest exertions were 
made to regain it; and it was upon this occasion that Napoleon Bona- 

What were the earlier proceedings under the republic? What is said of the emi- 
grants? Of Louis Philippe ? Of La Vendee? Who invaded France ? What places 
were taken ? Who killed Marat ? Who took Toulon ? What is said of Napoleon ? 

18* 



210 VICTORIES OF NAPOLEO^Xr. 

PARTE, by his skill and bravery, drew upon him the attention of France, 

and laid the foundation of his imperial throne. 

He was a native of Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean sea : he 
had received his military education in France, and served her with the 
greatest zeal and success. He was rapidly promoted to the rank of 
general-in-chief of the French forces, and commanded with such ability 
and success, that his name alone inspired the army with almost invinci- 
ble courage. He conquered Italy, and the greater part of Germany, 
after which he menaced England with invasion, and for that purpose 
assembled a numerous army at Boulogne ; but instead of crossing the 
Channel, he led his soldiers to Egypt, where they gained some important 
victories, though the fleet which had transported them was destroyed by 
the English admiral Nelson. 

While Bonaparte was in Egypt, 1798, he heard that some of the 
members of the Directory, jealous of his glory, were intriguing against 
him. He therefore returned to Paris, went to St. Cloud, where the 
Directory was sitting, entered the hall with some grenadiers, and dis- 
solved the meeting by force. A consular government was then formed, 
composed of Napoleon, Sieyes, and Roger-Ducos. The two latter 
were soon replaced by Lebrun and Cambaceres. The presidency was 
given to Napoleon, who was soon after named first consul for ten years, 
and then for life. 

The French government having about this time, 1801, assumed an 
appearance of stability, a treaty of peace was agreed to by England ; it 
was however but of short duration, and the two countries were soon at 
war again with more hatred than before. England excited the conti- 
nental powers against France ; but the victorious armies of Napoleon 
destroyed the coalition. Holland, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Prussia 
were conquered, and the brothers of Bonaparte were placed on the 
thrones of the three former. 

' One of Napoleon's most brilliant achievements was his crossing the 
Alps on his march to the second campaign in Italy. Instead of taking 
the usual circuitous route, he passed over Mount St. Bernard, the sol- 
diers dragging the artillery over the steep mountains, hitherto deemed 
inaccessible to an army with cannon. 

It would exceed the limits of an abridged history, to relate all the bat- 
tles which led to such immense conquests ; we will mention some of the 
most important of those where the French covered themselves with 
everlasting glory; they are Marengo, Lodi, Pont d'Arcole, Jena, 
AusTERiiiTz, Ulm, etc., etc. 

Bonaparte's glory excited great jealousy among ambitious men, and 
particularly among the partisans of the Bourbon family. Several con- 
spiracies were formed to assassinate him, one of which nearly proved 
fatal. It was the infernal machine, a butt like those of tlie water-car- 
riers, filled with combustibles, and fired at the corner of the street St. 
Nicaise as Bonaparte was passing to go to the opera. Several houses 

Describe his conquests Who caused his return from Egypt ? Who were made 
consuls ? Who made war with France ? What countries were conquered ? Men- 
tion a remarkable inihtary achierement of Bonaparte What is said of Napoleon? 
Of the infernal nuK-hine^ 



212 




General Rapp announcing the retreat of the Riissfans at Austeriitz. 



NAPOLEON EMPEROR. 213 

were nearly destroyed, and about twenty persons killed or wounded by 
the explosion ; but fortunately for Napoleori his coachman was driving 
very fast, and was beyond reach of the machine before it exploded. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 
THE EMPIRE. 

Bonaparte being now firmly placed at the head of the French 
government, conceived the idea of seating- himself on the vacant throne 
of France. He was the more desirous of doing this as Louis XVIII. 
had written to him, demanding the restitution of it. Napoleon answer- 
ed him, that to obtain it, he must march over the dead bodies of 800,000 
soldiers. He was proclaimed emperor of the French on the 18th of 
May, 1804. 

It was about this time that the duke d'Enghien, a member of the 
Bourbon family, was seized in Germany, beyond the limits of France, 
by the orders of Napoleon. He was conducted to the prison of Vin- 
cennes and there shot in one of the ditches at night, on a charge of 
conspiring against the life of Bonaparte. 

Napoleon, having by his victories made peace upon his own conditions 
with several of the continental powers, was naturally recognized empe- 
ror by them. England however refused to acknowledge him : she de- 
clined a proposition sent by Bonaparte to king George the Third, to enter 
into negotiations for a peace; and still further excited the northern 
powers against the ambitious views of Napoleon and the gigantic power 
of France. - 

The emperor then determined on invading England with an over- 
whelming force, and went to Boulogne to assemble the army and navy. 
Some unforeseen circumstances prevented the fleets arriving in time,- 
and Napoleon was compelled to abandon the project. He then marched 
against the Austrians ; took Ulm and 30,000 prisoners who had intrench- 
ed themselves in it. He then advanced to Vienna, which opened its 
gates to him. A strong reinforcement of Russians however having 
arrived, commanded by the emperor Alexander, JBonaparte saw that a 
desperate battle would follow; it did so: it was that of Austerlitz, 
where the French army covered itself with imperishable glory. They 
took more than 19,000 prisoners, killed more than 10,000 ; captured 
forty standards, twenty generals, and a hundred and twenty pieces of 
cannon. The column in the place Vendome is made of the cannon 
taken during this campaign. 

Soon after this a peace was concluded at Presbourg between the 

Of Louis XVIII. ? When vv'as Napoleon made emperor ? What is said of the 
duke d'Enghien ? Of Napoleon? Of England? What prevented the invasion of 
England ? What did Napoleon effect in Austria? Describe the battle of Auster- 
litz. Who made a peace '' 



214 CONTINUED WARS. 

French, the Austrians, and the Russians. Bonaparte then returned to 
Paris. 

As a drawback upon the glory of this campaign, Napoleon received 
news of the destruction of the combined French and Spanish fleets at 
Trafalgar. The French admiral Villeneuve and one rear-admiral were 
taken, and two rear-admirals killed. Admiral Nelson, who commanded 
the English squadron, was mortally wounded in the action and died im- 
mediately after the victory. 

The defeat of the French fleet neutralized, in a great measure, the 
effects which the campaign of Austria would otherwise have produced 
on England, and Napoleon made overtures of peace to that country ; 
but they were indignantly refused. Prussia now declared against France. 
Bonaparte marched against them ; gained the important victory of Jena, 
where more than 30,000 prisoners were taken ; and the French army 
marched triumphantly on to Berlin, of which they took possession in a 
fortnight after the battle of Jena. 

Napoleon then marched on to Warsaw, capital of Poland, forcing the 
Russians to evacuate that country. This victorious campaign led to 
the' peace of Tilsit, between France, Russia, and Prussia; and to a 
conference of the three monarchs in that town. Bonaparte then return- 
ed to Paris, and the court of the Tuileries became one of the most bril- 
liant in Europe. Soon after this, the French marched into Spain, where- 
they gained some important victories over the Spaniards and English ; 
but the cabinet of London having once more decided the Austrians to 
arm against France, Napoleon marched again triumphantly to Vienna. 
It was in this campaign that the French gained the celebrated victories 
of EssLiNG and Wagram on the 22d of May and the 17th of July 1809. 

Peace was once more concluded between France and Austria, and 
Bonaparte then invaded the territories of the Pope. The Holy Father 
protested against the violation and excommunicated the French emperor. 
Nevertheless the state of Rome Vv'as annexed to the French empire, 
and the Pope Pius VII. was invited to visit France, and to take up his 
residence at Fontainebleau, which he failed not to do. Bonaparte now 
turned his attention to Spain and Portugal, where the war was carried 
on with great vigour, by the English, Spaniards, and Portuguese, against 
the French. 

The English general Moore, having been defeated and killed, at 
Corunna, general Wellesley (now the duke of Wellington) v/as appoint- 
ed to the command of the allied troops in the Peninsula, which country 
was afflicted with a sanguinary and protracted war. Many of the prin- 
cipal towns v/ere alternately taken and retaken. About this time, 1810, 
Bonaparte divorced his wife, the empress Josephine, and soon after mar- 
ried the archduchess Maria- Louisa, daughter of the emperor of Austria. 
The war in the Peninsula was obstinately prosecuted on both sides, and, 
though the French gained several important victories, they were at 

What was done at sea ? Where did Napoleon defeat the Pnissians ? What suc- 
cesses followed this? What w-as done in Spain? In Austria? In Italy? Who 
was taken to France ? What took place in Spain ? Whom did Napoleon divorce ? 
Whom did he marry? 



215 




Charge of Cossacks. 



RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. 217 

length so severely beaten at Salamanca that they never recovered them- 
selves. 

When the French power dominated in Spain, Napoleon placed his 
brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne of that kingdom ; but after the 
defeat at Salamanca he was obliged to abandon the country. It was 
marshal Marmont who commanded the French forces on that memorable 
day, and the allies were commanded by lord Wellington. The French 
general was wounded and obliged to quit the field, after which the 
enemy pushed on with such irresistible violence that the French army 
was obliged to retreat. Louis Bonaparte, also a brother of Napoleon, 
who had placed him on the throne of Holland, was about this time com- 
pelled to abdicate. 

On the 20th of January 1811, the empress Maria-Louisa gave birth 
to a son : this event gave great joy to Napoleon, whose most ardent 
desire was to establish firmly the fourth dynasty on the French throne. 
The title of king of Rome was given to young Napoleon; and Bona- 
parte was now in the zenith of his glory. Towards the end of this year, 
he complained to the court of Russia that the English vessels were per- 
mitted to enter the Russian ports, and received a protection inconsistent 
with the amity existing between France and that country. The evasive 
answers that Bonaparte received on this subject gave him a pretext for 
war. He commenced it with the most brilliant prospects. He entered 
Russia with an army of 400,000 men, and an immense train of artillery ; 
the troops of ten nations marched under the banners of France, and 
victory traced a path for them direct to Moscow, the ancient capital of 
Russia, which was, at that time, called Muscovy. 

Here the victorious career of Napoleon Bonaparte terminated. He 
had taken up his residence in the Kremlin, the palace of the Czars of 
Moscow ; intending to winter his army in the town. The Russians 
however, in order to drive them out, made the dreadful sacrifice of their 
ancient capital. It was fired in several parts, and notwithstanding the 
exertions of the French to extinguish the flames, it was soon reduced to 
a heap of ruins, except the Kremlin and a few other buildings. 

Bonaparte still entertained hopes of being able to pass the winter 
there ; but he deceived himself, and caused the destruction of the finest 
army that Europe perhaps ever saw. Moscow no longer offered protec- 
tion or supplies. The Russians and Cossacks intercepted the provi- 
sions, and harassed the troops ; killing great numbers of them without 
risking a general action. A retreat was therefore decided on ; and this 
army, lately so victorious, so invincible, quitted the ruins of Moscow on 
the 19th of October, 1812, Bonaparte having previously given orders to 
blow up the Kremlin. 

The weather, which had been till then uncommonly mild, suddenly 
changed, and a Russian winter commenced in its greatest rigour. The 
retreat of the French army was the most disastrous that the annals of 
war ever presented. Unaccustomed to the severities of a northern 

Who was made king of Spain ? What drove him from the country ? Who was 
driven from Holland ? When was the king of Rome born? With what force did 
Napoleon invade Russia? What city did he take? How did the Russians expel 
him f i:om their country ? Describe the retreat of the French from Russia ? 

19 



218 BATTLE OF LEIPSICK. 

winter, the soldiers died by thousands on the roads. They were so 
closely followed by the enemy that they could take no repose. Fre- 
quently attacked, though seldom beaten, the army diminished daily, so 
that Bonaparte saw that, without reinforcements, it was in danger of 
being annihilated. He therefore determined to hasten to Paris and to 
endeavour to raise a sufficient force to undertake another campaign. 
He quitted the army on the 5th of December, leaving the command to 
the king of Naples. The thermometer then marked 26 degrees below 
zero, a degree of cold never experienced in France. The remains of 
the army continued its dreadful retreat, reduced at last to less than 
10,000 men. 

Bonaparte arrived at Paris, exposed the perilous situation of affairs, 
and demanded immediate reinforcements to the amount of 250,000 men, 
which were voted by the senate, and the roads of Germany were co- 
vered with recruits marching to reinforce the remains of his army. 
Prussia now formed an alliance with the emperor of Russia; and Louis 
XVIII. published a manifesto, containing his legitimate claims to the 
throne of France. Napoleon having sent his reinforcements forward, 
and named the empress regent of the empire, and his brother Joseph 
president of the regency, left Paris for Erfurt, to take the command of 
his newly raised army. 

During this time, the war raged in the Peninsula : the French had 
gained several important battles; but were at last completely defeated 
at Vittoria, where Joseph Bonaparte was near being made prisoner. 
. The loss of this battle obliged the French to retreat towards the Pyre- 
nees. On hearing of these disasters. Napoleon dispatched marshal 
Soult to endeavour to re-establish things in Spain, but he was only able 
to prolong the resistance, 

Bon'aparte recommenced his campaign in the north, in May, 1813, 
and gained an important victory at Lutzen, and another at Dresden, 
where Moreau, formerly one of his generals, and who had joined the 
allies, was killed. The victory at Dresden was brilliant; but it was 
the setting sun of Bonaparte's glory. The allies continually receiving 
reinforcements, compelled the French to retreat to Leipsic. An ar- 
mistice had been asked, and terms of peace proposed by the allies; but 
the conditions were too degrading to France, and the negotiation was 
broken off. The battle of Leipsic, so dreadful and so fatal to France, 
was fought on the 18th of Oct. 1813. It was called the battle of Na- 
tions, and the fate of Europe seemed to depend on it. The allies were 
superior in numbers to the French; they were reinforced by fresh 
troops, not fatigued by continual fighting ; and besides this, a body of 
Saxons in the French service, went over to the enemy, with all their 
artillery. Bernadotte advanced with the Swedish troops against his 
former master. This sanguinary battle was suspended by the arrival 
of night, and Bonaparte finding it impossible to resist such overwhelm- 
ing numbers, commanded a retreat. He had ordered a miner to blow 

When did Napoleon quit the army ? To what number was it reduced ? What 
was done on Napoleon's return to Paris ? What was done in Spain ? What is said 
of Bonaparte ? Of Dresden ? Of Leipsic ? Of the allies ? Of Bernadotte ? 



FRANCE INVADED. 219 

up the bridge over the Elster, to retard the allies in their pursuit: the 
order was unfortunately executed before the rearguard of the French 
had passed. This caused the loss of 12,000 men, and of prince Ponia- 
towski, who plunged into the river at the head of his division, and sunk, 
to rise no more. The French, no longer able to act on the defensive, 
retreated towards their own frontier, followed and harassed by the 
enemy ; they however gained an important victory at Hanau, and if 
they had not, the whole army would have been lost. 

Bonaparte now saw that France would be invaded ; he therefore 
crossed the Rhine at Mayence, and used his utmost efforts to animate 
the departments, and to prepare a vigorous resistance. The allies now 
concentrated their forces and organized their plans of invasion. On 
the 1st of January, 1814, they crossed the Rhine and entered France 
at several points. About this time, Ferdinand VII., king of Spain, who 
had been long detained in France, was permitted to return to his 
country, having engaged to cause the united English and Spaniards to 
retire from the French frontier ; which, however, he did not effect, and 
France was soon invaded on that side. 

The allies directed their march towards Paris. Bonaparte and his 
best generals marched against them. The French soldiers never showed 
more courage, nor Napoleon more skill, than in this campaign. Several 
battles were fought; one particularly at Brienne where the emperor 
had received his education. The engagement was terrible, the town 
was almost reduced to ruins, and the army compelled to retreat. Being 
however soon reinforced, they advanced again ; the French evacuated 
Brienne, and a conference was proposed to the allies at Chatillon. The 
conditions however offered by them were considered too humiliating ; 
Bonaparte rejected them, saying that France would rise in a mass against 
her invaders, and that he should drive them before him. The event 
proves that he deceived himself. The enemy continued to overrun 
France, and to advance on the capital; but not with impunity: the 
French army performed prodigies of valour ; frequently arresting their 
progress and compelling them to retreat : the battles of Chateau-Thierry, 
Vaux-Champs, Montmirail and Montereau showed that the French army 
had lost nothing of its bravery. The engagement at the latter town 
was dreadful ; the French gained a complete victory, and drove the 
allies from their positions to a considerable distance in full retreat. 

It is said that Bonaparte remarked, during this battle, that some of 
his generals did not second him with their accustomed ardour. He 
reproached them with their infidelity, threatened one with a court mar- 
tial, and another with dismissal. The allies were so disconcerted by 
the defeat at Montereau that they were some time before they began to 
act on the offensive ; however they reunited and marched on towards 
the capital. 

Discouragement now became visible among maiiy of the officers, and, 
which was still more fatal to Napoleon, intrigue began to sap his power. 

Of Bonaparte's retreat ? Of Poniatowski ? Of the battle of Hanau ? Of the 
invasion of France ? Of Ferdinand VII. ? What took place at Brienne ? At Cha- 
tillon ? In what battles did the Frencli show their courage ? Whither did the 
allies now proceed ? What were Napoleon's difficulties ? 



220 ABDICATION OF NAPOLEON, 

A nation divided against itself becomes an easy prey to a foreign enemy. 
The persons attached to the Bourbon dynasty began to acquire influ- 
ence, and failed not to profit by it. Napoleon, now in the rear of the 
allies, learned that their advanced guards were marching rapidly to 
Paris. He had hoped that they would not have risked so dangerous an 
experiment ; or that they would be attacked in front, and that he should 
be able to cut off their retreat : but fortune had abandoned him and his 
friends, and left them a prey to misfortune and infidelity. 

The invading army arrive at length in view of Paris, take possession 
of its heights, "and commence the siege. The whole national-guard 
assemble and demand twenty thousand muskets to defend the city; but 
they are told that there are not any. They armed themselves with 
whatever they could find, and rushed to the heights, where, on the 30th 
of March, at seven in the morning, a sanguinary engagement com- 
menced. Montmartre, Pantin, and Romainville were witnesses of the 
courageous, but useless efforts of the Parisians to save their capital. 
The pupils of the Polytechnic school fought with the greatest intrepid- 
ity, at the butte St. Chaumont ; but having exhausted their ammunition, 
they were compelled to abandon the defence. Joseph Bonaparte and 
the duke of Raguse commanded the troops, and the latter went to 
Joseph, told him that it was impossible to prolong the defence with any 
probability of success, and asked permission to treat with the enemy for 
a capitulation. He obtained it, and Paris was delivered up to the allies, 
who entered it in triumph on the 31st of March 1814. 
- Napoleon was at Fontainebleau, where he soon learned the disasters ; 
and at first thought of making a desperate attempt on Paris ; he was 
however soon convinced that it was too late. He then offered to abdi- 
cate ii} favour of his son ; but was told that he must renounce, both for 
himself and his family, all pretensions to the throne of France. He 
did so, and the isle of Elba was granted him in sovereignty. 

His departure was fixed for the 20th of April. He wished to see 
Maria Louisa and his son, but was prevented. They were sent off to 
Vienna. The ex-empress Josephine was at Malmaison ; by the treaty 
of capitulation a million of francs was granted for her annual income : 
she was visited by the allied sovereigns ; but she did not long survive 
the misfortunes of her late husband. She died at the latter end of May 
1814, and the emperor Alexander did her remains the honour of attend- 
ing the funeral by proxy. 

Bonaparte took an affecting leave of his old and faithful companions 
in arms, in the court-yard of the palace of Fontainebleau ; got into a 
carriage with general Bertrand, and set off', accompanied by a few 
friends, and the commissioners of the allied powers, who were to con- 
duct him out of France. On the road Napoleon experienced different 
receptions, according to the opinions of the inhabitants of the various 
towns through which he passed. At length they arrived at Frojus, and 
on the morning of the 28th, the late emperor of France quitted its 
shores for ever, as it was thought. 

What city was now besieged ? Describe the siege. When was the city surren- 
dered? Where was Napoleon ? W^hat did he ofler? What was he compelled k> 
do ? Whilher did he retire ? What is said of Maria Louisa ? Of Josenhine ( 



NAPOLEON RETURNS TO FRANCE. 221 

The allied sovereigns having determined on re-establishing the Bour- 
bon dynasty, and the Dauphin, son of Louis XVI., being dead, Louis- 
Stanislaus-Xavier, brother of Louis XVL, v^^as declared king, under the 
title of Louis XVIIL He was then in England, but immediately em- 
barked, and entered Paris on the 3d of May 1814, in an open carriage, 
accompanied by the duchess d'Angouleme, daughter of the unfortunate 
Louis XVL and Marie-Antoinette. The prince de Conde, the father 
of him whose sudden death has lately caused much sensation at Paris, 
was also in the carriage. Thus the Bourbons were once more on the 
throne of France, and a treaty of peace was concluded between the 
allies and that country, by which it was reduced to its limits of 1792. 

The allies, and particularly the Austrians, were extremely humiliated 
by the appearance of the column in the place Vendome. It was made 
of the cannons taken from them, and surmounted by the statue of the 
monarch and general by whom they had so often been vanquished. The 
greatest influence was therefore exerted to have it demolished. A 
compromise was however made, and the statue only was taken down. 
This was not accomplished without great difficulty; and it is said that 
when the statue came to the ground, a paper was found in it containing 
the following words: "iVe pouvant s'elever jusqu'd moi, Us rn'ont 
abaisse jusqii'd euxy 

The statue now on the column is a new one ; it was elevated in July, 
1833, and inaugurated on the 28th of the same month, being the third 
anniversary of the revolution of 1830. 

After such convulsions, it can scarcely be supposed that the reign of 
Louis XVIII. was very tranquil. A new form of constitution, called 
the Constitutional Charter, was enacted as a guarantee of public liberty; 
but so many different interests were opposed to each other, that it was 
impossible to conciliate all parties. The emigrants who had preserved 
their attachment to the Bourbon, and returned with them, were natu- 
rally favoured by them ; and the men who had rendered services to 
France under Napoleon, conceived themselves neglected, or badly re- 
warded ; each party provoked the other, and mutual hatred was the 
consequence. During this time, the allied sovereigns were holding a 
congress at Vienna, for the purpose of arranging the political affairs 
of Europe. They learned the state of France, and that numbers of 
Frenchmen loudly expressed their attachment to Napoleon and their 
regret for his fall. This gave rise, it is said, to a proposition for send- 
ing him to a greater distance from France. But suddenly the congress 
was broken up, and the situation of Europe entirely changed, by the 
unexpected appearance of Bonaparte once more in France, at the head, 
it is true, of only six hundred men : but with such a general, and 
France so discontented, his army increased every moment, and he 
marched boldly on towards Paris, His landing spread consternation, 
hopes, and fears, in the capital, and in fact throughout Europe. 

Who was declared king of France? To what limits was France reduced? 
What is said of the column and statue in the place Vendome ? What is said of 
Louis's reign ? Of the emigrants ? Of the allies ? Of the congress ? Of Bona- 
parte ? 

19* 



222 THE WAR RECOMMENCED. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 
THE HUNDRED DAYS. 

Several generals were sent with troops to oppose his march, and to 
take him prisoner ; but the recollection of his former victories acted as 
a talisman, and most of them refused to draw their swords against their 
former captain: on the contrary, they joined and marched with him 
triumphantly towards Paris, where he arrived in tlie evening of the 
20th of March, 1815, twenty days after his landing at Antibes. 

The king had already quitted the capital and retired to Ghent, so that 
Napoleon immediately took possession of the Tuileries, and formed a 
new administration. He then wrote to the allied monarchs, proposing 
a peace, on the same footing as the existing one ; but they issued a ful- 
minating proclamation, declaring him a traitor, a usurper, and out of 
the protection of all laws. The duke d'Angouleme had gone to the 
south of France, where he endeavoured to sustain the falling cause of 
the Bourbons ; but he failed, and was obliged to surrender to general 
Grouchy. Bonaparte ordered him to be liberated and conducted out of 
the empire. The duchess of Angouleme also placed herself at the 
head of some troops at Bourdeaux, and behaved like a heroine; but 
though her bravery excited admiration, the cause was abandoned, and 
she was^ obliged to leave the country. Bonaparte finding no Jiopes of 
conciliating the foreign powers, began vigorous preparations for war. 
An army of 140,000 men was soon raised, and Napoleon left Paris on 
the 2d of June to put himself at its head. His ardour was, however, 
somewhat damped by the apparent want of confidence on the part of 
the Legislative Body, which occupied itself with tedious discussions 
about a new constitution, at the moment when Europe in mass was pre- 
paring to pour its armed legions into the heart of the country. 

" To waste the hour of action in dispute, 
And calmly plan how freedom's boughs should shoot. 
When your invader's axe was at the root ! " 

Moore. 

The English and Belgian armies were assembling in the neighbour- 
hood of Brussels; the Prussians were marching towards the same 
point. The Russians were also advancing, and it became important to 
Napoleon to begin the attack before they had time to concentrate their 
forces. He therefore fell upon the Prussians commanded by Bluchor 
in the neighbourhood of Ligny and St. Amand, on the 16th of June. 

Who joined Napoleon? When did he arrive in Paris? Wliat did he then do? 
What is said of the duke d'Angouleme ? Of the duchess ? Of Bonaparte ? What 
was the number of his troops? Who opposed him? Where did a battle take 
place ? When ? 



BATTLE OF WATERI^QO. 223 

The engagement was furious, both armies suffered considerably, but 
the French gained the victory ; the Prussians retreated, leaving, it is 
said, forty pieces of cannon, six colours, and a great number of pri- 
soners, in the hands of the victors. It is also said that they lost in 
killed and wounded, more than 20,000 men. Blucher was thrown from 
his horse during a charge of the French cuirassiers, and they actually 
rode over him, but he was not recognized. 

Napoleon's head-quarters were at Fleurus on the ITth, the morning 
after the battle. He sent general Grouchy in pursuit of the Prussians, 
ordering him to prevent them from joining the English, against whom 
he himself was marching. Grouchy had with him 36,000 men and 
110 pieces of. cannon. Napoleon led on 66,000, with 250 pieces. On 
arriving at a place called Quatre-Bras,- where there are four cross-roads, 
Bonaparte found the English cavalry which Wellington had left to 
cover his retreat: on seeing the French advance they retired; the 
artillery pursued them, keeping up a continual fire, till ten o'clock at 
night. Arrived on the borders of the forest of Soignies, the English 
halted, and Napoleon soon discovered that he was in presence of Wel- 
lington and the united English and Belgian forces. This was on the 
17th of June. 

He immediately sent word to Grouchy that he should give battle the 
next day, desiring him to keep the Prussians in check with a part of 
his corps, and with the other to take the English on flank. The Eng- 
lish forces were about 85,000, having behind them the forest, with 
only one road through it to Brussels in case of defeat ; but in other re- 
spects their position was favourable. Bonaparte's intention was to cut 
through the centre of the English ; a most tremendous attack com- 
menced, and both armies appeared, by their desperate ardour, to be well 
aware of the importance of the result. The French artillery lanched 
such a destructive fire upon the English lines, that they found it neces- 
sary to retire behind some elevations on the plain. They soon advanced 
again with reinforcements, and, in their turn, caused some confusion in 
the French lines. Napoleon viewed the engagement from an eminence 
near a farm called la Belle Alliance, admiring the bravery and devo- 
tion of his troops, acknowledging at the same time how well the Eng- 
lish fought. The work of carnage continued till about six o'clock in 
the evening v/ithout any decided advantage ; but Bonaparte expecting 
every moment the arrival of Grouchy on the flank of the English, made 
sure of the victory; his glass was continually directed to that part; at 
last an aide-de-camp rode up and told him that a strong body of Prus- 
sians were approaching the right wing of the French. He said it was 
impossible, and that it must be Grouchy's corps. A few minutes how- 
ever convinced him that it was the Prussians, and that there was no 
appearance of marshal Grouchy. The English at the same moment 
called up their reserve of cavalry ; the Prussians commenced a terrible 
cannonade on the French flank, and Wellington sent a brigade of hus- 
sars to charge the cavalry, but they could make no impression on the 

What took place on the 17th ? What were GrouchyV, orders ? \A^hat was Bona- 
parte's intention? Describe the battle. Who relieved the English ? What fol- 
lowed ? 



224 THE FRENCH DEFEATED. 

French dragoons and cuirassiers, who stood like a rock, and repelled the 
charge. 

The French were now exposed to the fire of the whole united army 
of English, Belgians, and Prussians. Grouchy, on whom Bonaparte 
calculated so much, did not arrive : the Prussians had deceived him by 
keeping up a fight with a detachment of their army which he took for 
the main body, and thought he was preventing them from joining the 
English, at the very moment when they had done so, and were attack- 
ing the right wing of the French. This was a skilful manceuvre of the 
enemy, and a fatal mistake on the part of Grouchy. It was now near 
eight o'clock, and while the Prussians were thundering upon the wing, 
Wellington determined to make a desperate charge upon the centre 
with nearly all his cavalry. We have already said that the hussars 
could not make any impression on the cuirassiers; lord Anglesey there- 
fore, who commanded the English horse, called up two regiments named 
the Life-guards. These corps had never yet seen actual service, but 
they are composed of the finest and strongest men in England ; and 
mounted on horses so far superior in size and strength to those of the 
French, that with equal ardour physical force must prevail. 

The charge was tremendous ; the centre of the French was thrown 
in disorder, and lord Anglesey almost reached the spot where Bonaparte 
stood ; he however received a ball which broke one of his legs and 
stopped him. The most dreadful carnage ensued; the cavalry fought 
man to man, and the allied forces, perceiving confusion in the French 
lines, pushed on with all their might to increase it, and to prevent them 
from rallying. The treachery of some officers who had either passed 
over to the allies, or betrayed the plans of Bonaparte, euEibled Welling- 
ton and Blucher to counteract them. The imperial guard stood firm 
amidst 'the confusion ; they were attacked and called on to surrender ; 
their answer was : " La garde meurt et ne se rend pas." 

However the lines being broken, the Prussians, English and Belgians 
advancing on every side, a panic seized some of the young troops, who 
began to fiy, crying " sauve qui peut .'" 

This corapietes the confusion ; the army becomes disorganized ; the 
brave are borne away by the torrent of cowardly or treacherous fugi- 
tives ; the battle is lost, and the fate of France, nay of Europe, is de- 
cided. 

The English were too much fatigued to pursue the fugitives ; there- 
fore the Prussians, who had only sustained the latter part of the fight, 
and who were much more cruel enemies, gladly undertook the san- 
guinary task of following and massacre ing all that fell into their hands. 

This celebrated battle is generally called the battle of Waterloo, 
from a village of that name which is near the plain. It is also spoken 
of as the battle of mount St. John, from an elevation so called. It is 
supposed that more than 60,000 men fell victims in this dreadful con- 
flict ; which no doubt would have terminated very differently if Grouchy 
had arrived instead of the Prussians. 

What was Groiichy's error? Wlio commanded the last decisive charge? De- 
scribe it. What is said of the imperial guard ? What was the result of the battle 
of Waterloo ? How many men were killed in it ? 




Battle of Waterloo, 



JVAPOLEON SURRENDERS. 227 

The French army, demoralised by misfortune and treachery, were in 
full retreat. Napoleon found it impossible to rally them ; they were 
pursued so closely that his carriage fell into the hands of the Prussians 
near Charleroi, and he was in danger also of being taken. Finding all 
efforts useless, he left the command to marshal Soult, and set off for 
Paris to prevent the bad effects that the news of his defeat might occa- 
sion, and to put the capital in a state of defence. The events of the 
battle were soon known, and the friends of the Bourbons took fresh 
courage. The house of peers and that of the commons showed them- 
selves unfavourable to Napoleon, and began to blame him as the cause 
of the double invasion of France. The allies were once more in full 
march for Paris. In this situation Bonaparte sent to the chambers a 
note containing his abdication in favour of his son, whom he styled 
Napoleon II., proposing to put himself at the head of the army as a 
simple general, and promising to resign the command as soon as the 
enemy should be driven out of France. His proposition was however 
rejected. 

Things remained in this state of indecision till the arrival of the 
enemy at the walls of Paris : no defence was made, but a treaty of 
capitulation was signed, by virtue of which the allies entered the capi- 
tal, and the Franch army retired beyond the Loire. 

Napoleon had retired to Malmaison, a short distance from Paris ; and 
finding all was lost for him, he determined to abandon France and retire 
to America. With this intention he went to Rochefort to embark; but 
all the ports were so blockaded by the English cruisers that it was im- 
possible to go out without being recognised, and perhaps taken prisoner ; 
he therefore determined to ask an asylum in England, and for that pur- 
pose went on board the English ship of war Bellerophon, desiring to be 
conveyed to that country. He immediately wrote the following letter 
to the Prince-Regent. 

" Your royal highness, 
" A victim to the factions which divide my country, and to the enmity 
of the great European powers, my political career is finished. I come 
like Themistocles, to seat myself tranquilly by a British fire-side ; I 
throw myself under the protection of British laws, which I claim of 
your royal highness, as the most powerful, the most constant, the most 
generous of my enemies. 

"Napoleon." 

The letter was confided to general Gourgaud, who went immediately 
on board an English vessel towards England. He was not however per- 
mitted to land, but the letter was sent on to London. 

The Bellerophon with Bonaparte on board set sail, and soon arrived 
near the shores of England. The English nation would willingly have 
received Napoleon, and have offered him an asylum ; but the engage- 
Whither did Napoleon retire ? What followed his return? What did he pro- 
pose to the chambers? Who entered Paris? What did Napoleon now do ? To 
whom did he surrender ? ' To whom did he write a letter ? Was he permitted, ta 
land in England? - ' . ' 



228 " LOUIS XVIII. RESTORED. 

ments of the government with the other European powiers was an insur- 
mountable obstacle, even if the government itself had been inclined to 
do it. He was not allowed to disembark, and it was soon decided that 
he should be transported to St. Helena, an island in the midst of the 
Atlantic ocean, 2000 leagues from Europe. 

When this determination became known, an attempt was made by 
some persons at London to cite the English commander who had Napo- 
leon in custody, to produce his prisoner in the court of king's bench, and 
to show cause why he should not be set at liberty. 

This citation was in virtue of a law in England called Habeas Cor- 
pus, which forbids the imprisonment, or transportation of any one till 
he has been accused, and has had an opportunity of defending himself 
in open court. This caused so much sensation that lord Keith, com- 
mander of the Northumberland, a vessel to which Napoleon had been 
transferred, was obliged to sail immediately, and narrowly escaped the 
citation. 

On the 18th of October 1815, Bonaparte was landed at St. Helena, 
which was destined to be the place of his exile, and his tomb. 

The history of the world cannot, we think, offer a. more striking 
lesson to the ambitious ; nor a greater example of the instability of 
human greatness. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 
THE SECOND RESTORATION. 

Let us turn our eyes again to France. The allied forces had once 
more entered, and taken possession of the capital. Louis XVIIL 
returned and remounted the throne ; a treaty was made between France 
and the allies, in virtue of which that country was circumscribed to its 
limits of 1789. Her strongest forts were to be garrisoned by the allied 
troops, of whom 150,000 were to remain in France during three years. 
A contribution of 700 millions of francs was imposed upon the nation 
to pay the expenses of the war. An additional article stipulated that 
England should receive an indemnification for the confiscations of her 
merchandise at different times by the government of Napoleon. 

Marshal Ney and general Labcdoyere were tried and shot for having 
joined Bonaparte with their troops. Lavalette also, the director of the 
post office, was condemned to death ; but he was delivered from prison 
by his wife, who changed clothes with him, and remained in the dun- 
geon while he escaped. 

He was assisted in his flight by three English officers who were after- 
wards arrested and condemned to six months of imprisonment for the 
part they took in the affair. 

How did his friends attempt to liberate him ? Whither was he sent ? Who now 
returned to Paris? How was France treated? Who were tried and shot? Who 
escaped ? How ? 



DEATH OF LOUIS XVIII. 229 

The importance of the political events which mark the beginning 
of the 19th century has obliged us to be more circumstantial in our 
details than the limits of our abridgment would well allow ; but Europe 
once more at peace, we return to the plain high road. 

France having once more the Bourbons on the throne, began to re- 
establish many of her former institutions. Statues of Henry IV., Louis 
XIV., etc., were erected in place of ihose destroyed during the republic. 
The internal peace of the country was however frequently disturbed by 
different parties, who thought that the glory and well-being of France 
were compromised by the existing state of things. Its tranquillity was 
often troubled by those who seek private interest more than public 
good ; and who, to revenge private quarrels, fear not to sacrifice the 
national welfare. Thus Avignon, Marseilles and Lyons were disgraced 
by scenes of blood and assassination. It was at the first of these places 
that marshal Brune was assassinated in open day, and his body thrown 
into the Rhone. 

On the 30th of Sept. 1818, a congress was opened at Aix-la-Chapelle 
to decide on the evacuation of France by the allied troops, which was 
fixed for the 30th of the following November. France, left once more 
to herself, remained comparatively tranquil ; but Paris was disgraced in 
1820 by the assassination of the duke de Berri, at the door of the Opera 
house, which was then in the rue Richelieu, opposite the royal Library. 

Shortly after the death of the duke de Berri, his widow the duchess 
gave birth to a son (Sept. 2, 1820), who was called Charles-Ferdinand- 
Marie-Dieudonne d'Artois, duke of Bourdeaux. 

During this reign a civil war broke out in Spain. France sent an 
army, commanded by the duke of Angouleme, to the assistance of Fer- 
dinand VII. ; the French troops were victorious, and after a short cam- 
paign returned to their own country. No other important event marked 
the reign of Louis XVIII., which terminated by his death on the 16th 
Sept. 1824. His remains were conveyed to the cathedral of St. Denis. 



CHAPTER XLIX, 
CHARLES X. (1824). 



Charles, count of Artois, brother of Louis XVIII., succeeded that 
monarch on the throne of France. The early part of his reign was not 
marked by any important event, though it cannot be said to have been 
quite tranquil ; as it was difficult, if not impossible to reconcile the dif- 
ferent interests of contending parties ; whose intrigues served but to 
excite, or increase rancour, to sap the foundation of the throne, and to 

Where did disturbances take place ? Who was assassinated at Avignon ? When 
and where was a congress opened ? Who was assassinated in 1820 ? What was 
the result of the war with Spain ? When did Louis XVIII, die ? Wlio succeeded 
Louis XVIII. ? 

20 



230 CAPTURE OF ALGIERS. 

expose their country to the danger of becoming again the theatre of 
foreign and domestic war. 

While things were in this state, the French consul at Algiers, on the 
coast of Africa, being at the court of the Dey, received, during an audi- 
ence, a blow with a tan from that monarch. 

If you are not yet acquainted with the Algerines, it is necessary to 
inform you that they are chiefly pirates, and have, during three centu- 
ries, committed the greatest depredations upon the vessels and crews of 
Christian countries ; seizing the merchandise, and selling the people as 
slaves. They have even had the boldness to land on the coast of France, 
and carry into slavery any persons they could take. 

They have been at different times attacked, by Charles V., by Louis 
XIV., and by the English ; but without producing any permanent good 
effect. It was reserved for the French to avenge the injuries of Europe 
upon them. 

An army was sent from Toulon which, after being separated by a 
violent storm, landed at a short distance, and in a few days rendered 
themselves masters of the capital, and the immense treasures of the 
Dey. The French took possession of the territory in the name of 
Charles X., and it is at this moment (Nov. 1836) a colony of France. 
The Dey came to Paris and lived there as a private person during some 
time ; after which he went to Italy, There were great rejoicings and 
illuminations at Paris on account of this victory. The royal family 
went in grand procession to the Cathedral church to return thanks to 
Heaven; but scarcely had the first impulse of joy subsided to calm 
satisfaction, ere Paris was condemned to see its streets inundated with 
the blood of its inhabitants, its monarch driven from his throne, and the 
dynasjty once more changed. 

On the 25th of July, 1830, a privy council was held at the Tuileries 
in which it was represented to the king by the ministers, that the 
government, and the throne itself was in danger ; that republican prin- 
ciples were spreading in an alarming manner ; that great numbers of 
the deputies were violent republicans and constantly opposed the march 
of government. The ministers further represented, that the great 
instrument which promulgated sedition throughout the country was the 
periodical press ; stating that by its means the electors were corrupted, 
and consequently they elected for their representatives in parliament, 
men of republican principles, and that the juries who had to pronounce 
verdicts on the prosecutions against the editors of different papers, were 
so contaminated that they published with impunity opinions subversive 
of all order and government. 

The king was the more inclined to believe these representations, be- 
cause a short time before, a majority of the chamber of deputies, con- 
sisting of 221 members, had voted an address to him containing very 
strong remonstrances on the conduct of ministers ; the consequence was 
the prorogation, and afterwards the dissolution of that Parliament. On 

What was done by the Dey of Algiers ? What is said of the Algerines ? Who 
had attacked them without effect? Who took their capital? Of what country 
did it become a colony? What took place July 25, 1830? Who dissolved the 
Parliament ? 



DISOEDERS IN PARIS. 231 

this occasion a very witty pun was circulated among the Parisians. It 
was as follows : " Ces pauvres deputes qui etaient si francs (six francs), 
les voild dissous (dix sous)." 

The consequences of those representations were the celebrated pro- 
clamations, or orders in council of the 25th of July, by which the 
liberty of the periodical press was suspended, and the laws relating to 
the elections of deputies considerably altered. 

This blow was so unexpected that on Monday afternoon the 26th, all 
Paris seemed stupified, all parties were astonished, and the friends of 
good order and tranquillity began to conceive the most alarming fears. 
At night some lamps were broken, and the windows of some public 
offices, by those who avail themselves of such opportunities to commit 
their depredations. On Tuesday morning the 27th, things began to 
wear a serious aspect Several of the newspapers, though the publica- 
tion was forbidden till they had been submitted to the censor, appeared, 
containing the proclamations, with the most violent comments upon 
them, and a declaration of the editors, that they would continue to pub- 
lish as usual in spite of the government ; adding that the Charter was 
violated, and calling upon the nation to rise in defence of it. 

This produced a double effect: it excited the government on one 
side, and officers were sent to seize and destroy the presses of those 
papers. The news spread rapidly through all parts of the town, mobs 
began to assemble. In the garden of the Palais-Royal, men were seen 
mounted on chairs, reading the papers to groups around them, and using 
the most energetic language to excite them to resistance. The crowds 
increased continually in the streets, and particularly in the neighbour- 
hood of the Palais-Royal. Their numbers were considerably augment- 
ed in consequence of several printers and other establishments discharg- 
ing their workmen, to the amount of several thousands, declaring they 
would no more employ them till things were altered. It was now 
found necessary to send the gens-d'armes to clear av/ay the mob ; this 
they endeavoured to do by frequent charges ; but the moment the troop 
returned, the people followed them pouring from every street and alley, 
crying, down ivith the gens-d'' armes^ and throwing mud or stones at 
them. This continued for some time with increasing irritation on both 
sides : at last some of the mob fell, or were thrown down by the mili- 
tary, and trampled upon by the horses ; this caused dreaxlful cries among 
the crowd, and a fresh volley of missiles was thrown at the soldiers. 
Irritation now became almost fiiry, and the report of fire-arms was 
heard. It is not known whether the first shot was fired by the people, 
or by the military, as each accuse the other : however a general cry of 
" to arms ! to arms ! we are massacred !" spread through the streets, and 
almost immediately several gunsmiths' shops were broken open, and 
their arms distributed among the people. The military posts were at- 
tacked, and many of them taken ; much skirmishing took place in the 
streets, and the ears of the peaceable inhabitants were shocked by re- 

When was the liberty of the press suspended ? What took place on She 26th ? 
On the 27th ? Describe the proceedings of the mob ? Who attacked them ? What 
was the consequence ? 



232 CONTINUED FIGHTING IN PARIS. 

peated discharges of musketry; knowing at eveiy discharge that 
Frenchmen were falling by the hands of Frenchmen, and that the 
streets of Paris were running with the blood of its citizens. At length 
night suspended these dreadful scenes, -which were however renewed 
with redoubled and systematic fury early on the morning of Wednes- 
day the 28th. 

The morning of the 28th, the struggle between the people and the 
government became more determined than ever. It appeared as if 
each party had passed the night in preparation. The capital became a 
general scene of civil warfare. The flags at the public offices were 
torn down and trampled under foot, and the ensigns of royalty, such as 
the arms over the shop-doors, and the word royal at the lottery offices, 
disappeared. The ministers had quitted their hotels and retired to the 
Tuileries. Almost every principal street now became a scene of bat- 
tle ; the dead and wounded were seen being carried off in all direc- 
tions. The corners of the streets were barricaded ; and many of the 
populace had taken paving-stones to the upper stories of the houses, 
from which they threw them on the military as they passed ; many of 
whom fell victims to this horrible warfare. 

Tovv^ards the latter part of this day, some marks of indecision were 
observed among the soldiers of the line, and soon after, whole regi- 
ments refused to fire upon the people, who, in consequence, became 
more animated, and more confident of success. They now formed 
themselves into strong bodies ; several of the pupils of the Polytech- 
nic school had placed themselves at the head of different detachments, 
leading them on to the attack. Thus passed Wednesday the 28th, 
which was a day of bloodshed from morning till near midnight. 

On the morning of Thursday the 29th, the struggle was renewed at 
daybreak, with sanguinary resolution on both sides. Numbers of beau- 
tiful trees on the Boulevards were cut down and placed across the road 
to impede the soldiers. The populace had seized the powder maga- 
zines ; they had also procured arms at several barracks, and &,t the de- 
pot of St. Thomas d'Aquin. 

The soldiers of the line having ceased firing, the situation of the 
Swiss guard and the royal guard became very critical. They were 
almost the only troops in Paris who still remained firm to the govern- 
ment, and, while the people were every moment reinforced by numbers 
from the faubourgs, the ranks of the guards were perpetually thinned 
by the continual fire of their assailants. 

The Swiss had intrenched themselves in tlie Louvre, whence they 
kept up a dreadful fire, and killed great numbers of the populace. It 
was therefore resolved to attempt a coup-de-main. The palace was 
attacked at the same moment on three sides, the gates were forced, the 
mob entered, and a dreadful scene of carnage took place. 

The Swiss retired to the Tuileries, which was also defended by the 

What took place on the morning of the 28th ? What is said of liie capital ? The 
ministers? Tlie streets? Of the troops of the Hne ? Of the Polytechnic school ? 
What look place on the morning of the 29th ? What is said of the" Swiss ? Of the 
palace of the Louvre ? 



CHARLES X. EXPELLED. 233 

royal guard. The people, shortly after the taking of the Louvre, re- 
solved to make a desperate effort on the former palace, which was then 
the only remaining post of the government ; it was attacked with such 
irresistible fury, that after a short resistance, the duke of Raguse was 
obliged to retreat with his troops, and leave the Tuileries to the mercy 
of the populace, who soon entered by doors and windows, and in a few 
moments, busts, pictures, papers and numerous things were seen flying 
from the windows ; a work of destruction was commenced ; but some 
of the most reasonable among those who had entered, begged the others 
not to disgrace themselves by such unmanly acts, and soon after this a 
sort of guard was formed to prevent further devastation. 

The troops had retired to the bois de Boulogne, where it was ex- 
pected they would rally, receive reinforcements, and come down again 
on Paris. But the court being now convinced that the capital was in 
arms, the king sent word that the proclamations were revoked, and the 
ministry changed. This proposition came too late; the people had 
gained the victory ; and several members of parliament and other men 
of influence having joined them (among whom was the celebrated 
general Lafayette), it was determined that the government should be 
entirely changed. The king, hearing of this, offered to abdicate in 
favour of the Dauphin, but he was told that prince would not be ac- 
cepted, as he had formed a part of the council whence the ordonnances 
had issued. 

During this time, a provisional or temporary government had been 
formed, and the duke of Orleans was invited to place himself at the 
head of it, as lieutenant-general of the kingdom, which he did. The 
tri-coloured flag was again adopted as the national standard: it had 
already been hoisted successively on the different edifices conquered by 
the people. The royal family, who were at St. Cloud, retired to Ver- 
sailles, and soon after to Rambouillet, where king Charles, finding there 
was no hope, either for himself or for the Dauphin, sent to the duke of 
Orleans an act of abdication for himself and the duke of Angouleme, 
in favour of the duke of Bourdeaux. 

This act was read by the duke of Orleans to the parliament ; but no 
further notice was taken of it. The members of the family of Charles 
X. were still at Rambouillet; but it was deemed necessary for the tran- 
quillity of the country that they should quit France. Commissioners 
were sent to offer them an escort to the frontiers ; the late king however 
would not see them, and when the news of his refusal reached Paris, 
the populace rose in mass a.nd marched with cannon and all kinds of 
arms towards Rambouillet. This manifestation decided Charles X. to 
emigrate. The family left the chateau on the 4th of August 1830; they 
proceeded, by easy journeys, towards Cherbourg, where they embarked 
and soon landed in England. 

They were received as private persons, and went first to live at Lul- 
worth castle, in Dorsetshire : this was however too near the sea-coast 
and opposite the shores of France ; so they were advised to change, and 

Of the Tuileries ? What was now done by the troops ? By the Idng ? What 
^vas determined ? What did the king offer? Was it accepted? What was then 
done ? What obhged Charles to emigraje ? Whither did lie go ? 

20* 



234 REIGN OF LOUIS PHILIP, 

they went to Holyrood house, near Edinburgh, which liad already been 
the asylum of that unfortunate family, after the revolution of 1789. 
Charles X., after remaining- some time in Scotland, retired with his 
family to Prague in Bohemia, where they yet reside (December 1836). 

The parliament of France then assembled to remodel the constitutional 
Charter, and, when it was finished, came to the resolution of offering 
the throne to the duke of Orleans, on condition of his swearing to govern 
according to the said Charter. 

He took the oath in presence of the peers and deputies assembled ; 
and then ascended the throne, taking the title of Louis Philip I., king 
OF THE French. 



CHAPTER L. 
LOUIS PHILIP I. (1830). 



The ministers of Charles X., knowing that the public mind was 
furiously excited against them, endeavoured to escape. Three of them 
succeeded, but the others, viz., the prince de Polignac, MM. de Pey- 
ronnet, de Chantelauze, and Guernon de Ranville, were taken and tried 
before the peers. They were all condemned to perpetual imprisonment, 
and to pay the expenses of the trial. In addition to which prince Po- 
lignac, as having been prime minister, was declared to be an outlaw ; 
that is, out of the protection of the law ; or to be considered as dead in 
the eye , of the law ; by which sentence all right to property is abolish- 
ed, the wife is considered a widow, and the children succeed to the 
estates, etc. 

The popular mind was so much irritated against the ministers, that, 
during the ti-ial, which lasted some weeks, a strong military force was 
necessary to prevent the populace from attacking the Luxembourg, where 
they were confined during that time. 

After condemnation they were taken to the fortress of Vincennes, and 
thence to Ham in Picardy, where they are still confined (1837). 

After this the country went on as quietly as could be expected of a 
kingdom so recently exposed to the horrors of civil war. However, the 
violent republicans, who wished a government on their own principles, 
began to be dissatisfied with the moderate measures of Louis Philip ; 
while, on the other hand, the partisans of the late government declared 
their enmity to him, and used all their power to thwart the measures 
of his government. An attempt was even made in June 1832^ in v/hich 
both parties are said to have united their efforts to deprive him of the 
crown. It was on the 5th of June that the funeral of the celebrated 
general Lamarque gave a pretext for a large assemblage of people. A 

What was his subsequent career? Who was offered the throne? On what con- 
dition ? With what title ? What was done with the ministers of Charles X. ? What 
took place June 5lh 1832 ? 



DUCHESS OF BERRI. 235 

conflict took place between the military and some of the crowd, and 
bore the appearance of another revolution. Our ears were again shock- 
ed with continual reports of musketry and cannon, the streets were 
strewed with dead and wounded, particularly in the populous quarters 
of St. Denis and St. Martin, in which latter street there was scarcely a 
window left whole ; and the fronts of some shops were entirely carried 
away : one house No. 30 was almost demolished, and the church of St. 
Merry yet bears marks of the balls. 

The insurrection was quelled on the second day, and since that time 
the capital has remained quiet, though the south of France, and la Ven- 
dee have been agitated by party spirit, and open resistance. 

In the early part of the year 1832 the duchess of Berri landed in the 
south with some partisans of the elder branch of the Bourbons, and suc- 
ceeded in reaching la Vendee. This duchess was the widow of the duke 
of Berri, who was assassinated at the opera in 1820, and mother of the 
duke of Bourdeaux, who, before the change of dynasty by the revolution 
of 1830, was second in succession to the crown of France. 

Her presence excited the enthusiasm of the Vendeans, and caused 
several conflicts. However, she was at last traced by the authorities to 
a house at Nantes, and, after a fruitless search of many hours, was found 
concealed in a small recess behind a chimney. It is said that the con- 
cealment was so well imagined, that discovery would not have taken 
place had not som^e of the gens-d'armes who were left to watch in a 
room that had been searched, made a large fire in the chimney to warm 
themselves : the retreat being immediately behind the iron plate of the 
chimney, became so insupportably hot, that, after having endured it 
almost to suffocation, the duchess, and two gentlemen who were con- 
cealed with her, called out that they surrendered. The chimney-plate 
opened and the captives came forth half roasted. They were imme- 
diately taken to prison : the duchess was soon after sent to the citadel of 
Blaye, near Bourdeaux, where she declared herself married to an Italian 
prince. — She was imprisoned for some time, and then transported on 
board a French vessel to Naples, her native place. 

Before closing our history, we think it necessary to say a few words 
concerning some important events which happened at Brussels in the 
year 1830, and which have been the cause of placing on a new throne 
erected in Belgium a king related to the royal family of England, and 
a queen in the person of the eldest daughter of Louis-Philippe L, the 
reigning monarch of France. 

Holland and Flanders had been united into one kingdom under the 
title of the Netherlands, governed by a prince of the house of Nassau. 
There existed however an unconquerable jealousy between the Dutch 
and Flemings, which, in August 1830, broke out into open Avar. A 
revolt took place at Brussels, and after some sanguinary combats between 
the king's troops and the people, the latter were victorious. The Dutch 
authorities were driven out, a provisional government was formed, and 
a separation of the two countries demanded. 

What is said of the duchess of Berri ? Where was she found ? How was she 
dis]X)sed of ? What countries composed the kingdom of the Netherlands? What 
look place at Brussels in August 1830 ? What was the consequence ? 



236 RIGOROUS GOVERNMENT OF LOUIS THILIP. 

This, through the determined interference of France and England, 
was effected, though not without difficulty, as the northern powers were 
jealous of any arrangement which might increase the influence of those 
two nations. It was however arranged, a new throne was created, and 
waited only a new king. Another difficulty was to find one to suit all 
parties interested. The crown was offered to the duke of Nemours, 
second son of Louis Philip. He did not however accept it. Fresh 
negotiations were opened, and the prince of Saxe-Cobourg was proposed. 
This prince had formerly married the princess Cliarlotte of Wales, 
daughter of George the Fourth of England, and, had she survived her 
father, she would have succeeded to the crown of that nation, where the 
salic law does not exist. The prince would then have been king-consort, 
that is husband of the queen, but without any pretensions to govern. 
The princess however died in giving birth to her first child in less than 
a year after her marriage. 

The crown of Belgium being offered to the prince of Saxe-Cobourg, 
he after some hesitation accepted it under certain conditions ; and shortly 
after married the eldest daughter of Louis Philip I. 

The dispute with Holland was not however quite arranged; the 
Dutch troops still occupied the citadel of Antwerp and refused to sur- 
render it. At last France determined to take it by force for the Bel- 
gians. A French army was sent to invest it, and after a siege of several 
days, in which the soldiers of that nation manifested their usual courage 
and perseverance, the Dutch were obliged to surrender. 

At the commencement of his reign, Louis Philip enjoyed a high de- 
gree of personal popularity. He was accessible to all classes of his 
subjects ; and, from his free and affable intercourse with them, had 
acquired the appellation of the Citizen King. The revolutionary spirit, 
howevev, to which he owed his elevation, soon began to manifest itself 
in a manner which threatened a speedy termination of his power, unless 
vigorous measures were resorted to for the purpose of maintaining the 
authority of the government. The press, of which the ministers of 
Charles X. had complained as constantly aiming at disorganization and 
anarchy, abated none of its license under the new order of things ; and, 
as a measure of self-defence, the king caused its conductors to be fined 
and imprisoned, to an extent unknown during the reign of his prede- 
cessor. 

Attempts at revolution, made in Lyons, and other cities in the South 
of France, were repressed by the strong arm of power ; and the advo- 
cates of liberty soon found that they were in the hands of a master. 
Their disappointment and chagrin at this discovery knew no bounds ; 
they would willingly have renewed the scenes of the memorable Three 
Days ; but the opportunity was past ; an immense standing army was 
at the disposal of the king, and a system of police as efficient as that of 

Who was made king of Belgium ? Who took Antwerp from the Dutch ? What 
was Louis Philip's demeanour towards the people? Was he popular in France? 
How was he denominated? Did his popularity last long ? Wliat was the course 
of the newspapers? How were their conductors dealt with? Did insurrections 
occur ? Were these suppressed ? 



ATTEMPTS UPON THE KING's LIFE. 237 

Fouche, and as widely extended as the atmosphere of France, made it 
unsafe for a man to whisper to his neighbour the design of revolution. 

The changes which were made in the ministry, the aspect of affairs 
in the court and in the parliament, and the whole policy pursued by the 
government, made it sufficiently apparent that the despotic character of 
the new regime depended on the deliberate choice and determination 
of the king. How far this choice may have been dictated by a convic- 
tion that France can only be ruled with an iron sceptre, — that the nation 
must always be in a state of slavery or anarchy, — it is not for us to 
determine. But that he has arrived at the conclusion announced in the 
celebrated declaration of Louis XIV., " I am the State," there appears 
no reason to doubt. He is as absolute in his mode of government as 
was Napoleon Bonaparte, even when at the height of his power. 

In this state of things, it is not surprising that repeated attempts have 
been made to deprive him of his throne and his life, by the detestable 
mode of assassination. On the 29th of July, 1835, while the king, 
attended by his sons and a numerous staff of officers on horseback, was 
reviewing a large body of troops in Paris, an attempt was made to de- 
stroy the whole cortege, by the explosion of an infernal machine, — an 
instrument composed of a large number of gun-barrels, pointed from the 
window of a building which the king was passing, and simultaneously 
discharged. The king and his sons had just passed the window when 
the explosion took place, and none of the royal family was wounded. 
Marshal Mortier, duke of Treviso, and several other persons, were killed, 
and nearly thirty wounded. The assassin, Fieschi, was immediately 
seized, and soon after tried and executed ; but nothing transpired, in the 
course of the trial, to show that he was connected with any considerable 
party in the state. 

The revulsion of feeling occasioned by this atrocious attempt was 
highly favourable to the king, who with characteristic dexterity turned 
it to his own advantage, by procuring the passage of severe laws for 
restraining the liberty of his subjects and promoting his own personal 
security. 

During the past summer (1836), another attempt on the king's life 
was made by a person named Alibeau, who fired upon him with a gun- 
barrel concealed in a cane, as he was riding with the queen in his car- 
riage, surrounded by his guards. The king had a very narrow escape 
on this occasion; and the assassin was summarily punished without 
discovering any accomplice. 

In his policy towards the United States, it would appear that Louis 
Philip has acted honourably. The affair of the indemnity for spolia- 
tions on American commerce, made under the Berlin and Milan decrees, 
had nearly led to a rupture between the two countries, in consequence 

Who attempted to assassinate the king of France ? What was the method adopt- 
ed in this instance ? What was the mischief done ? What person of great distinc- 
tion was among the killed ? Did the king escape ? Relate the circumstances con- 
nected with another attempt upon the king's life. In what respect were these 
incidents favourable to the king's purposes ? Has the king, in his relations with 
our own country, acted with honour? What induced the French Chamber of 
Deputies to do justice, in the matter of the American Indemnity ? 



238 THE FUTURE. T"^ 

of the refusal of the Chamber of Deputies to sanction the king's treaty. 
But the decision and energy displayed by the American President, soon 
induced that body to make the necessary appropriation, and the indem- 
nity is now nearly all paid. 

As the present order of things in France appears to depend chiefly, 
if not entirely, on the personal character of the king, it will probably 
remain unaltered during his life-time ; but when he shall cease to reign, 
there seems reason to apprehend that France will afford abundant mate- 
rials for the future historian, m a new series of revolutions and wars. 

Upon what circumstance seems to depend the continuance of tranquillity in 
France ? And, upon Louis Philip's death, what may reasonably be apprehended ? 



THE END. 






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